LoPy4 random number method (solved)

[PyBuggz]

Hi, just looking for the library/function to generate a random number for three choices.

like
import random

complains about no module.
I've tried urandom, os.random,
pyb as per this post
https://forum.micropython.org/viewtopic.php?t=2727

TIA Dave

[robert-hh]

@pybuggz A search for "random" in the documentation reveals that link:
https://docs.pycom.io/firmwareapi/micropython/ucrypto#methods

[dan]

@pybuggz have you tried uos.urandom(x)? http://docs.micropython.org/en/latest/library/uos.html#uos.urandom

[PyBuggz]

@dan
TNX, Looks like what I want..(note no 'u', just 'os')

os.urandom(3) gives results like

>>> os.urandom(3)
b'\x99\xcc\xe6'

OK
os.urandom(1) gives me a single byte, and this is how to make it an integer.
I've tried:

>>> print(int.from_bytes(os.urandom(1),"big"))
60

I want something between 0 and 3, so I need to limit the range somehow..

Also, how do I know which Micropython functions are in 'pycompython'?

regards
Dave

[robert-hh]

@pybuggz said in LoPy4 random number method:

n = os.urandom(1)[0]

also results in a number of 0-255. To get a number of 0-3, just use n % 4 or n & 0x3. If the range you need is not a power of 2, then start with a larger random number to reduce non-randomness of the result.
What do you measn with pycompython? if you waht to know the methods of a module, import that module and call dir(module_name), e.g.

import uos
dir(uos)

P.S.: uos is the 'Micro' version of os, and MicroPython provides os as the alias to uos.

[PyBuggz]

@robert-hh Thanks

What I want here is to simulate some users doing 1 of 3 things, so:

>>> print(uos.urandom(1)[0] %3)
0
>>> print(uos.urandom(1)[0] %3)
0
>>> print(uos.urandom(1)[0] %3)
1
>>>
>>> print(uos.urandom(1)[0] %3)
2
>>> print(uos.urandom(1)[0] %3)
2

simplifies my code and will be OK.

Regarding Micropython, I've 'hacked' a bit of other code at times and this is the first time I'm having to find the functions I need, so little things like 'dir(os)' are gems.

Dave