RandBetween() generating the same number for every row in a virtual column?

[Fowad_Ijaz]

Hi all, I’m trying to use randbetween(1,9999) to create a random sort order for a view in my app as in this discussion:

View Options - Sort by random Questions

It would amazing if the list of my products in the app would be displayed randomly when ever the app is opened. At this moment I can only choose sort by ascending or descending and its boring as the app seems static. AppSheet team kindly look into this please or if there is a way to achieve what I want let me know. Thanks

The problem is that when I create the virtual column and put =randbetween(1,9999) in the formulas, and look through all the records, they all get assigned the same random number. If I resync the app, the number gets regenerated, but still the same for all records. Any thoughts on how to fix? Appreciate it.

[Steve · Accepted solution]

Yeah, I’ve noticed this before myself. I suspect it has to do with the way RANDBETWEEN() is implemented. Try this instead:

RANDBETWEEN([_ROWNUMBER], ([_ROWNUMBER] + 9999))

An alternative would be to use UNIQUEID() rather than RANDBETWEEN(). It wouldn’t be a number, but it’ll produce a random sort.

For the technically inclined, I suspect the underlying random number generator is being seeded with the current time for each RANDBETWEEN() invocation. In a case like this, all of those seeds would be the same time, so the same “random” number would be generated for each.

[Fowad_Ijaz]

Steve:

RANDBETWEEN([_ROWNUMBER], ([_ROWNUMBER] + 9999))

That worked perfectly, thanks.

FYI for anybody else reading, I tried the uniqueID solution as well first, and it always generates the same alphanumeric value for all records…

[Marc_Dillon]

Fowad_Ijaz:

I tried the uniqueID solution as well first, and it always generates the same alphanumeric value for all records…

Wow. I was about to say there’s no way that’s true. But then I tested it myself and confirmed.