--- name: "Data::Random" section: "3pm" platform: "linux" package: "perl-data-random" version: "0.15-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/Data::Random" --- # Data::Random(3pm) Perl module to generate random data ## NAME Data::Random - Perl module to generate random data ## SYNOPSIS ``` use Data::Random qw(:all); my @random_words = rand_words( size => 10 ); my @random_chars = rand_chars( set => 'all', min => 5, max => 8 ); my $string = rand_chars( set => 'all', min => 5, max => 8 ); my @random_set = rand_set( set => \@set, size => 5 ); my $random_enum = rand_enum( set => \@set ); my $random_enum = rand_enum( \@set ); # shortcut my $random_date = rand_date(); my $random_time = rand_time(); my $random_datetime = rand_datetime(); open(my $file, ">", "rand_image.png") or die $!; binmode($file); print $file rand_image( bgcolor => [0, 0, 0] ); close($file); ``` ## DESCRIPTION A module used to generate random data. Useful mostly for test programs. ## METHODS ### rand\_words() This returns a list of random words given a wordlist. See below for possible parameters. - • wordlist - the path to the wordlist file. A lot of systems have one at /usr/dict/words. You can also optionally supply a Data::Random::WordList object to keep a persistent wordlist. The default is the wordlist distributed with this module. - • min - the minimum number of words to return. The default is 1. - • max - the maximum number of words to return. The default is 1. - • size - the number of words to return. The default is 1. If you supply a value for 'size', then 'min' and 'max' aren't paid attention to. - • shuffle - whether or not the words should be randomly shuffled. Set this to 0 if you don't want the words shuffled. The default is 1. Random::Data::WordList returns words in the order that they're viewed in the word list file, so shuffling will make sure that the results are a little more random. ### rand\_chars() When called in a list context this returns a list of random characters given a set of characters. In a scalar context it returns a string of random characters. See below for possible parameters. - • set - the set of characters to be used. This value can be either a reference to an array of strings, or one of the following: ``` alpha - alphabetic characters: a-z, A-Z upperalpha - upper case alphabetic characters: A-Z loweralpha - lower case alphabetic characters: a-z numeric - numeric characters: 0-9 alphanumeric - alphanumeric characters: a-z, A-Z, 0-9 char - non-alphanumeric characters: # ~ ! @ $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + = - { } | : " < > ? / . ' ; ] [ \ ` misc - same as 'char' all - all of the above ``` - • min - the minimum number of characters to return. The default is 0. - • max - the maximum number of characters to return. The default is the size of the set. - • size - the number of characters to return. The default is 1. If you supply a value for 'size', then 'min' and 'max' aren't paid attention to. - • shuffle - whether or not the characters should be randomly shuffled. Set this to 0 if you want the characters to stay in the order received. The default is 1. ### rand\_set() This returns a random set of elements given an initial set. See below for possible parameters. - • set - the set of strings to be used. This should be a reference to an array of strings. - • min - the minimum number of strings to return. The default is 0. - • max - the maximum number of strings to return. The default is the size of the set. - • size - the number of strings to return. The default is 1. If you supply a value for 'size', then 'min' and 'max' aren't paid attention to. - • shuffle - whether or not the strings should be randomly shuffled. Set this to 0 if you want the strings to stay in the order received. The default is 1. ### rand\_enum() This returns a random element given an initial set. See below for possible parameters. - • set - the set of strings to be used. This should be a reference to an array of strings. The `"set"` key will be assumed if the array reference is passed as the only argument. ### rand\_date() This returns a random date in the form "YYYY-MM-DD". 2-digit years are not currently supported. Efforts are made to make sure you're returned a truly valid date--ie, you'll never be returned the date February 31st. See the options below to find out how to control the date range. Here are a few examples: ``` # returns a date somewhere in between the current date, and one year from the current date $date = rand_date(); # returns a date somewhere in between September 21, 1978 and September 21, 1979 $date = rand_date( min => '1978-9-21' ); # returns a date somewhere in between September 21, 1978 and the current date $date = rand_date( min => '1978-9-21', max => 'now' ); # returns a date somewhere in between the current date and September 21, 2008 $date = rand_date( min => 'now', max => '2008-9-21' ); ``` See below for possible parameters. - • min - the minimum date to be returned. It should be in the form "YYYY-MM-DD" or you can alternatively use the string "now" to represent the current date. The default is the current date; - • max - the maximum date to be returned. It should be in the form "YYYY-MM-DD" or you can alternatively use the string "now" to represent the current date. The default is one year from the minimum date; ### rand\_time() This returns a random time in the form "HH:MM:SS". 24 hour times are supported. See the options below to find out how to control the time range. Here are a few examples: ``` # returns a random 24-hr time (between 00:00:00 and 23:59:59) $time = rand_time(); # returns a time somewhere in between 04:00:00 and the end of the day $time = rand_time( min => '4:0:0' ); # returns a time somewhere in between 8:00:00 and the current time (if it's after 8:00) $time = rand_time( min => '12:00:00', max => 'now' ); # returns a date somewhere in between the current time and the end of the day $time = rand_time( min => 'now' ); ``` See below for possible parameters. - • min - the minimum time to be returned. It should be in the form "HH:MM:SS" or you can alternatively use the string "now" to represent the current time. The default is 00:00:00; - • max - the maximum time to be returned. It should be in the form "HH:MM:SS" or you can alternatively use the string "now" to represent the current time. The default is 23:59:59; ### rand\_datetime() This returns a random date and time in the form "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS". See the options below to find out how to control the date/time range. Here are a few examples: ``` # returns a date somewhere in between the current date/time, and one year from the current date/time $datetime = rand_datetime(); # returns a date somewhere in between 4:00 September 21, 1978 and 4:00 September 21, 1979 $datetime = rand_datetime( min => '1978-9-21 4:0:0' ); # returns a date somewhere in between 4:00 September 21, 1978 and the current date $datetime = rand_datetime( min => '1978-9-21 4:0:0', max => 'now' ); # returns a date somewhere in between the current date/time and the end of the day September 21, 2008 $datetime = rand_datetime( min => 'now', max => '2008-9-21 23:59:59' ); ``` See below for possible parameters. - • min - the minimum date/time to be returned. It should be in the form "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS" or you can alternatively use the string "now" to represent the current date/time. The default is the current date/time; - • max - the maximum date/time to be returned. It should be in the form "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS" or you can alternatively use the string "now" to represent the current date/time. The default is one year from the minimum date/time; ### rand\_image() This returns a random image. Currently only PNG images are supported. See below for possible parameters. - • minwidth - the minimum width of the image. The default is 1. - • maxwidth - the maximum width of the image. The default is 100. - • width - the width of the image. If you supply a value for 'width', then 'minwidth' and 'maxwidth' aren't paid attention to. - • minheight - the minimum height of the image. The default is 1. - • maxheight - the maximum height of the image. The default is 100. - • height - the height of the image. If you supply a value for 'width', then 'minwidth' and 'maxwidth' aren't paid attention to. - • minpixels - the minimum number of random pixels to display on the image. The default is 0. - • maxpixels - the maximum number of random pixels to display on the image. The default is width \* height. - • pixels - the number of random pixels to display on the image. If you supply a value for 'pixels', then 'minpixels' and 'maxpixels' aren't paid attention to. - • bgcolor - the background color of the image. The value must be a reference to an RGB array where each element is an integer between 0 and 255 (eg. \[ 55, 120, 255 \]). - • fgcolor - the foreground color of the image. The value must be a reference to an RGB array where each element is an integer between 0 and 255 (eg. \[ 55, 120, 255 \]). ## VERSION 0\.12 ## AUTHOR Originally written by: Adekunle Olonoh Currently maintained by: Buddy Burden (barefoot@cpan.org), starting with version 0.06 ## CREDITS ``` Hiroki Chalfant David Sarno Michiel Beijen ``` ## COPYRIGHT Copyright (c) 2000-2011 Adekunle Olonoh. Copyright (c) 2011-2015 Buddy Burden. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. ## SEE ALSO Data::Random::WordList