Do you have any idea or documentation about why we have arc4random_stir() in swift? - swift

Question

I have written the program below for generating random unique numbers for several number of times by invoking the function, but it seems like I'm getting the same pattern with minimal changes.
func generateRandom(withinNumber: Int) {
var i:Int = 0
var elements = Set<Int>()
while i != withinNumber {
let num:Int = Int(arc4random())%withinNumber + 1
if elements.count <= withinNumber && elements.contains(num) == false {
elements.insert(num)
}
else {
i = i-1
}
i=i+1
}
print(elements)
elements.removeAll()
}
generateRandom(withinNumber: 10)
How does I make my program effectively run to generate several random unique numbers.
Please let me know it would be very helpful for me.

Answer 1

You are storing your numbers in a Set and sets are not ordered, so the order the elements are shown by print is unrelated to the order in which they were added to the set.
Rather the elements of a set are stored in some manner which enables fast checking for .contains(), and this is one reason you seeing similar sequences.
If you wish to preserve order of insertion use a collection which does this, i.e. an array. Changing to an array in your code produced the following results from 9 calls:
[8, 9, 7, 10, 5, 6, 2, 3, 1, 4]
[4, 9, 10, 3, 6, 2, 1, 7, 8, 5]
[8, 3, 5, 1, 6, 4, 9, 10, 7, 2]
[5, 7, 2, 9, 8, 1, 6, 10, 3, 4]
[2, 3, 7, 6, 9, 1, 8, 10, 5, 4]
[9, 10, 2, 4, 6, 8, 5, 7, 1, 3]
[9, 10, 2, 5, 4, 7, 3, 8, 1, 6]
[1, 6, 4, 5, 8, 2, 3, 9, 7, 10]
[6, 10, 5, 3, 2, 8, 1, 9, 7, 4]
You are also generating 10 random numbers in the range 1 to 10 and avoiding duplicates, so the results is always going to be the numbers 1 to 10 in some order.
To generate a random number in a given range do not use %, instead use the provided arc4random_uniform() which will give better a better distribution.
The function mention in your title arc4random_stir() is available in Swift.
BTW (somewhat opinion based): It is better to write !e (! being the boolean not operator) rather than e == false, and never ever write e == true which is the long form of e!
BTW (SO etiquette): Don't link to your code (or paste in images of it). Reduce to a small example which demonstrates the issue (not required in your case) and insert directly in the question. Keep tags minimal and appropriate. These edits were done for you this time by myself and others, you will know for next time.
HTH