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| author | Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> | 2022-04-12 11:36:45 -0400 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> | 2022-04-12 11:36:45 -0400 |
| commit | d4f109e4a2c028bcd889cc44d84b10fff7d9186b (patch) | |
| tree | ae36bf1e8ac2a943f1ee7ffb760a1c6d6ecaaf9d | |
| parent | e7cc4a6e3dcc39f3643f998aa5da6a6f27f28db5 (diff) | |
| download | postgresql-d4f109e4a2c028bcd889cc44d84b10fff7d9186b.tar.gz postgresql-d4f109e4a2c028bcd889cc44d84b10fff7d9186b.zip | |
Doc: update description of random() function.
Commit 3804539e4 neglected to update the documentation's claim that
random() uses a "linear congruential algorithm". In hopes of avoiding
the same mistake if someone replaces our PRNG again, just say it's a
deterministic pseudo-random number generator and leave it at that.
Anybody who really wants to know can look in the source code.
COMPATIBILITY NOTE FOR RELEASE NOTES: 3804539e4's commit message
really should have mentioned that the random() sequence after
setseed(), while still repeatable, will differ from what you got
in pre-v15 releases.
Noted by Dagfinn Ilmari Mannsåker; wording suggestion by Dean Rasheed.
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/875ynfpiru.fsf@wibble.ilmari.org
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/src/sgml/func.sgml | 5 |
1 files changed, 3 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml index 0a5c402640d..93ba39eff10 100644 --- a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml +++ b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml @@ -1832,8 +1832,9 @@ repeat('Pg', 4) <returnvalue>PgPgPgPg</returnvalue> </table> <para> - The <function>random()</function> function uses a simple linear - congruential algorithm. It is fast but not suitable for cryptographic + The <function>random()</function> function uses a deterministic + pseudo-random number generator. + It is fast but not suitable for cryptographic applications; see the <xref linkend="pgcrypto"/> module for a more secure alternative. If <function>setseed()</function> is called, the series of results of |