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I need to get unique random number in javascript (or Typescript).
At this moment I use this code:
var id = -((new Date()).getTime() & 0xffff);
It returns me numbers like -13915 or -28806 ...
It works most of the time but I am having problems when this code is executed in promises (so nearly multiple times at the same time). Then sometimes I got two identical id.
Is there any solution to get unique random numbers in any case ?
There are many examples around internet. You can start with using Math.random()
. For example: generate random number between 1 and 100
Math.floor((Math.random() * 100) + 1);
Just keep in mind that it is not truly random; it is not cryptographically secure. You should probably look into libraries if you need that
Create a function that returns a unique number:
let numbers = [];
const uniqueNumber = (maxVal) => {
const number = Math.floor((Math.random() * maxVal) + 1);
if (!numbers.includes(number)) {
numbers.push(number);
return number;
} else if (numbers.length - 1 !== maxVal) {
uniqueNumber(maxVal);
}
}
const randomNumber = uniqueNumber(100);
console.log(numbers) // returns all unique numbers
This will return a unqiue number between 1 and 100. It also stops at the max length.
You can use the package uuid:
const uuidv4 = require('uuid/v4');
uuidv4(); // ⇨ '10ba038e-48da-487b-96e8-8d3b99b6d18a'
Notice: It is a number (a 128-bit number) but it is too big to be used as a JavaScript number. You have to keep it as a string.
If you need it on the browser, I suggest to generate the identifier from an API exposed on your back-end. Implementations of UUID exist in most of languages. The npm package will work on browsers but then it uses a fallback to Math.random, which is not secure.
See also: Universally unique identifier.
var datetimestamp = Date.now() + Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 9);
Math.random() in itself should be safe enough, what with 64-bit numbers. Even with imperfect generator, the chances of hitting the same number twice are minuscule.
If you're after specifically integers, then multiply Math.random() by something BIG, like Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER.
To be perfectly safe, you can always store an array of already used ids, and write a function that draws as long as gets a new unique number, pushes it into array, and returns the value. Enclose all that functionality inside a single object/function/class, to keep it neat.
As far as i know, you can call ObjectId("something"); to generate a new id.
Is it possible to generate a random id, which does not already exist in the database/collection and has a specific format?
In my case, i want object id to generate a unique random 10digit number.
So the result should be:
var ObjectId = require('mongodb').ObjectID
var id = new ObjectId("something");
console.log(id) ==> 0123456789
As in the comments, your best bet would be to get seconds into the current year when inserting the document. But the real question would be how intensive would insertion of new documents be. You need to account for multiple factors, first being the more documents you insert, the higher the chance your ids will collide at one point.
I would recommend just leaving the standard GUID mongo generates for you, however a solution that I can think of from top of my head would be getting the seconds into the current year, substring that to get the last 5 digits, and then generate 5 random digits and merge them together.
new Date().getTime().toString().substring(8) + Math.floor(Math.random() * (99999 - 10000)) + 100000;
With the above (80 bits) you would get 4.135898×10-13 collision probability on 1000000 documents.
I need a random number which I will be storing in the database per record and that (the generated random number)too should not repeat in future. So is Math.random() function is good for that?
Thanks in advance
Random is random and statistically it will repeat somewhere in the future. What you can do is combine something unique with a random part - for example use the unix timestamp with a random number.
function getRand(){
return new Date().getTime().toString() + Math.floor(Math.random()*1000000);
}
Math.random() will not give you a unique number, in general it will not even give you a real random number.
You can try to use a datetime-based random algorythm, or go for a random number and then check if it's already in your database, but both approaches are not 100% save. There is pretty much only one way to ensure the number you store is unique, which is on database level.
You can see here for GUID generator for unique keys for your DB. Also there you can find a lot of good information about random mechanisms
Create GUID / UUID in JavaScript?
time + increment + random:
var newGuid = (function() {
var guid = parseInt(Math.random() * 36);
return function newGuid() {
return Date.now().toString(36) + (guid++ % 36).toString(36) + Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 4);
};
})();
If you look at the specs of math.random, you will see that is defined as quasi-random number generator, meaning, it is not REALLY random. Moreover, a real random number generator will for sure repeat a result somewhere along the line BUT, when this happens, the series following this repetition will not resemble the series that followed the first appearance of the number.
Now, you mentioned that you need to store this in a database. Why don't you use a SEQUENCE (in Oracle; other DBMS have different mechanisms for this)? This will warrant that any used number will NEVER be reused. Moreover, if you don't want to use numbers in a sequence, you can using the value of this sequence as the seed for a random number (or a hashing). This will give you uniqueness to quite many digits.
How do I generate cryptographically secure random numbers in javascript?
There's been discussion at WHATWG on adding this to the window.crypto object. You can read the discussion and check out the proposed API and webkit bug (22049).
Just tested the following code in Chrome to get a random byte:
(function(){
var buf = new Uint8Array(1);
window.crypto.getRandomValues(buf);
alert(buf[0]);
})();
In order, I think your best bets are:
window.crypto.getRandomValues or window.msCrypto.getRandomValues
The sjcl library's randomWords function (http://crypto.stanford.edu/sjcl/)
The isaac library's random number generator (which is seeded by Math.random, so not really cryptographically secure) (https://github.com/rubycon/isaac.js)
window.crypto.getRandomValues has been implemented in Chrome for a while now, and relatively recently in Firefox as well. Unfortunately, Internet Explorer 10 and before do not implement the function. IE 11 has window.msCrypto, which accomplishes the same thing. sjcl has a great random number generator seeded from mouse movements, but there's always a chance that either the mouse won't have moved sufficiently to seed the generator, or that the user is on a mobile device where there is no mouse movement whatsoever. Thus, I recommend having a fallback case where you can still get a non-secure random number if there is no choice. Here's how I've handled this:
function GetRandomWords (wordCount) {
var randomWords;
// First we're going to try to use a built-in CSPRNG
if (window.crypto && window.crypto.getRandomValues) {
randomWords = new Int32Array(wordCount);
window.crypto.getRandomValues(randomWords);
}
// Because of course IE calls it msCrypto instead of being standard
else if (window.msCrypto && window.msCrypto.getRandomValues) {
randomWords = new Int32Array(wordCount);
window.msCrypto.getRandomValues(randomWords);
}
// So, no built-in functionality - bummer. If the user has wiggled the mouse enough,
// sjcl might help us out here
else if (sjcl.random.isReady()) {
randomWords = sjcl.random.randomWords(wordCount);
}
// Last resort - we'll use isaac.js to get a random number. It's seeded from Math.random(),
// so this isn't ideal, but it'll still greatly increase the space of guesses a hacker would
// have to make to crack the password.
else {
randomWords = [];
for (var i = 0; i < wordCount; i++) {
randomWords.push(isaac.rand());
}
}
return randomWords;
};
You'll need to include sjcl.js and isaac.js for that implementation, and be sure to start the sjcl entropy collector as soon as your page is loaded:
sjcl.random.startCollectors();
sjcl is dual-licensed BSD and GPL, while isaac.js is MIT, so it's perfectly safe to use either of those in any project. As mentioned in another answer, clipperz is another option, however for whatever bizarre reason, it is licensed under the AGPL. I have yet to see anyone who seems to understand what implications that has for a JavaScript library, but I'd universally avoid it.
One way to improve the code I've posted might be to store the state of the isaac random number generator in localStorage, so it isn't reseeded every time the page is loaded. Isaac will generate a random sequence, but for cryptography purposes, the seed is all-important. Seeding with Math.random is bad, but at least a little less bad if it isn't necessarily on every page load.
You can for instance use mouse movement as seed for random numbers, read out time and mouse position whenever the onmousemove event happens, feed that data to a whitening function and you will have some first class random at hand. Though do make sure that user has moved the mouse sufficiently before you use the data.
Edit: I have myself played a bit with the concept by making a password generator, I wouldn't guarantee that my whitening function is flawless, but being constantly reseeded I'm pretty sure that it's plenty for the job: ebusiness.hopto.org/generator.htm
Edit2: It now sort of works with smartphones, but only by disabling touch functionality while the entropy is gathered. Android won't work properly any other way.
Use window.crypto.getRandomValues, like this:
var random_num = new Uint8Array(2048 / 8); // 2048 = number length in bits
window.crypto.getRandomValues(random_num);
This is supported in all modern browsers and uses the operating system's random generator (e.g. /dev/urandom). If you need IE11 compatibility, you have to use their prefixed implementation viavar crypto = window.crypto || window.msCrypto; crypto.getRandomValues(..) though.
Note that the window.crypto API can also generate keys outright, which may be the better option.
Crypto-strong
to get cryptographic strong number from range [0, 1) (similar to Math.random()) use crypto:
let random = ()=> crypto.getRandomValues(new Uint32Array(1))[0]/2**32;
console.log( random() );
You might want to try
http://sourceforge.net/projects/clipperzlib/
It has an implementation of Fortuna which is a cryptographically secure random number generator. (Take a look at src/js/Clipperz/Crypto/PRNG.js). It appears to use the mouse as a source of randomness as well.
First of all, you need a source of entropy. For example, movement of the mouse, password, or any other. But all of these sources are very far from random, and guarantee you 20 bits of entropy, rarely more. The next step that you need to take is to use the mechanism like "Password-Based KDF" it will make computationally difficult to distinguish data from random.
Many years ago, you had to implement your own random number generator and seed it with entropy collected by mouse movement and timing information. This was the Phlogiston Era of JavaScript cryptography. These days we have window.crypto to work with.
If you need a random integer, random-number-csprng is a great choice. It securely generates a series of random bytes and then converts it into an unbiased random integer.
const randomInt = require("random-number-csprng");
(async function() {
let random = randomInt(10, 30);
console.log(`Your random number: ${random}`);
})();
If you need a random floating point number, you'll need to do a little more work. Generally, though, secure randomness is an integer problem, not a floating point problem.
I know i'm late to the party, but if you don't want to deal with the math of getting a cryptographically secure random value, i recommend using rando.js. it's a super small 2kb library that'll give you a decimal, pick something from an array, or whatever else you want- all cryptographically secure.
It's on npm too.
Here's a sample I copied from the GitHub, but it does more than this if you want to go there and read about it more.
console.log(rando()); //a floating-point number between 0 and 1 (could be exactly 0, but never exactly 1)
console.log(rando(5)); //an integer between 0 and 5 (could be 0 or 5)
console.log(rando(5, 10)); //a random integer between 5 and 10 (could be 5 or 10)
console.log(rando(5, "float")); //a floating-point number between 0 and 5 (could be exactly 0, but never exactly 5)
console.log(rando(5, 10, "float")); //a floating-point number between 5 and 10 (could be exactly 5, but never exactly 10)
console.log(rando(true, false)); //either true or false
console.log(rando(["a", "b"])); //{index:..., value:...} object representing a value of the provided array OR false if array is empty
console.log(rando({a: 1, b: 2})); //{key:..., value:...} object representing a property of the provided object OR false if object has no properties
console.log(rando("Gee willikers!")); //a character from the provided string OR false if the string is empty. Reoccurring characters will naturally form a more likely return value
console.log(rando(null)); //ANY invalid arguments return false
<script src="https://randojs.com/2.0.0.js"></script>
If you need large amounts, here's what I would do:
// Max value of random number length
const randLen = 16384
var randomId = randLen
var randomArray = new Uint32Array(randLen)
function random32() {
if (randomId === randLen) {
randomId = 0
return crypto.getRandomValues(randomArray)[randomId++] * 2.3283064365386963e-10
}
return randomArray[randomId++] * 2.3283064365386963e-10
}
function random64() {
if (randomId === randLen || randomId === randLen - 1) {
randomId = 0
crypto.getRandomValues(randomArray)
}
return randomArray[randomId++] * 2.3283064365386963e-10 + randomArray[randomId++] * 5.421010862427522e-20
}
console.log(random32())
console.log(random64())
How do I generate cryptographically secure random numbers in javascript?
There's been discussion at WHATWG on adding this to the window.crypto object. You can read the discussion and check out the proposed API and webkit bug (22049).
Just tested the following code in Chrome to get a random byte:
(function(){
var buf = new Uint8Array(1);
window.crypto.getRandomValues(buf);
alert(buf[0]);
})();
In order, I think your best bets are:
window.crypto.getRandomValues or window.msCrypto.getRandomValues
The sjcl library's randomWords function (http://crypto.stanford.edu/sjcl/)
The isaac library's random number generator (which is seeded by Math.random, so not really cryptographically secure) (https://github.com/rubycon/isaac.js)
window.crypto.getRandomValues has been implemented in Chrome for a while now, and relatively recently in Firefox as well. Unfortunately, Internet Explorer 10 and before do not implement the function. IE 11 has window.msCrypto, which accomplishes the same thing. sjcl has a great random number generator seeded from mouse movements, but there's always a chance that either the mouse won't have moved sufficiently to seed the generator, or that the user is on a mobile device where there is no mouse movement whatsoever. Thus, I recommend having a fallback case where you can still get a non-secure random number if there is no choice. Here's how I've handled this:
function GetRandomWords (wordCount) {
var randomWords;
// First we're going to try to use a built-in CSPRNG
if (window.crypto && window.crypto.getRandomValues) {
randomWords = new Int32Array(wordCount);
window.crypto.getRandomValues(randomWords);
}
// Because of course IE calls it msCrypto instead of being standard
else if (window.msCrypto && window.msCrypto.getRandomValues) {
randomWords = new Int32Array(wordCount);
window.msCrypto.getRandomValues(randomWords);
}
// So, no built-in functionality - bummer. If the user has wiggled the mouse enough,
// sjcl might help us out here
else if (sjcl.random.isReady()) {
randomWords = sjcl.random.randomWords(wordCount);
}
// Last resort - we'll use isaac.js to get a random number. It's seeded from Math.random(),
// so this isn't ideal, but it'll still greatly increase the space of guesses a hacker would
// have to make to crack the password.
else {
randomWords = [];
for (var i = 0; i < wordCount; i++) {
randomWords.push(isaac.rand());
}
}
return randomWords;
};
You'll need to include sjcl.js and isaac.js for that implementation, and be sure to start the sjcl entropy collector as soon as your page is loaded:
sjcl.random.startCollectors();
sjcl is dual-licensed BSD and GPL, while isaac.js is MIT, so it's perfectly safe to use either of those in any project. As mentioned in another answer, clipperz is another option, however for whatever bizarre reason, it is licensed under the AGPL. I have yet to see anyone who seems to understand what implications that has for a JavaScript library, but I'd universally avoid it.
One way to improve the code I've posted might be to store the state of the isaac random number generator in localStorage, so it isn't reseeded every time the page is loaded. Isaac will generate a random sequence, but for cryptography purposes, the seed is all-important. Seeding with Math.random is bad, but at least a little less bad if it isn't necessarily on every page load.
You can for instance use mouse movement as seed for random numbers, read out time and mouse position whenever the onmousemove event happens, feed that data to a whitening function and you will have some first class random at hand. Though do make sure that user has moved the mouse sufficiently before you use the data.
Edit: I have myself played a bit with the concept by making a password generator, I wouldn't guarantee that my whitening function is flawless, but being constantly reseeded I'm pretty sure that it's plenty for the job: ebusiness.hopto.org/generator.htm
Edit2: It now sort of works with smartphones, but only by disabling touch functionality while the entropy is gathered. Android won't work properly any other way.
Use window.crypto.getRandomValues, like this:
var random_num = new Uint8Array(2048 / 8); // 2048 = number length in bits
window.crypto.getRandomValues(random_num);
This is supported in all modern browsers and uses the operating system's random generator (e.g. /dev/urandom). If you need IE11 compatibility, you have to use their prefixed implementation viavar crypto = window.crypto || window.msCrypto; crypto.getRandomValues(..) though.
Note that the window.crypto API can also generate keys outright, which may be the better option.
Crypto-strong
to get cryptographic strong number from range [0, 1) (similar to Math.random()) use crypto:
let random = ()=> crypto.getRandomValues(new Uint32Array(1))[0]/2**32;
console.log( random() );
You might want to try
http://sourceforge.net/projects/clipperzlib/
It has an implementation of Fortuna which is a cryptographically secure random number generator. (Take a look at src/js/Clipperz/Crypto/PRNG.js). It appears to use the mouse as a source of randomness as well.
First of all, you need a source of entropy. For example, movement of the mouse, password, or any other. But all of these sources are very far from random, and guarantee you 20 bits of entropy, rarely more. The next step that you need to take is to use the mechanism like "Password-Based KDF" it will make computationally difficult to distinguish data from random.
Many years ago, you had to implement your own random number generator and seed it with entropy collected by mouse movement and timing information. This was the Phlogiston Era of JavaScript cryptography. These days we have window.crypto to work with.
If you need a random integer, random-number-csprng is a great choice. It securely generates a series of random bytes and then converts it into an unbiased random integer.
const randomInt = require("random-number-csprng");
(async function() {
let random = randomInt(10, 30);
console.log(`Your random number: ${random}`);
})();
If you need a random floating point number, you'll need to do a little more work. Generally, though, secure randomness is an integer problem, not a floating point problem.
I know i'm late to the party, but if you don't want to deal with the math of getting a cryptographically secure random value, i recommend using rando.js. it's a super small 2kb library that'll give you a decimal, pick something from an array, or whatever else you want- all cryptographically secure.
It's on npm too.
Here's a sample I copied from the GitHub, but it does more than this if you want to go there and read about it more.
console.log(rando()); //a floating-point number between 0 and 1 (could be exactly 0, but never exactly 1)
console.log(rando(5)); //an integer between 0 and 5 (could be 0 or 5)
console.log(rando(5, 10)); //a random integer between 5 and 10 (could be 5 or 10)
console.log(rando(5, "float")); //a floating-point number between 0 and 5 (could be exactly 0, but never exactly 5)
console.log(rando(5, 10, "float")); //a floating-point number between 5 and 10 (could be exactly 5, but never exactly 10)
console.log(rando(true, false)); //either true or false
console.log(rando(["a", "b"])); //{index:..., value:...} object representing a value of the provided array OR false if array is empty
console.log(rando({a: 1, b: 2})); //{key:..., value:...} object representing a property of the provided object OR false if object has no properties
console.log(rando("Gee willikers!")); //a character from the provided string OR false if the string is empty. Reoccurring characters will naturally form a more likely return value
console.log(rando(null)); //ANY invalid arguments return false
<script src="https://randojs.com/2.0.0.js"></script>
If you need large amounts, here's what I would do:
// Max value of random number length
const randLen = 16384
var randomId = randLen
var randomArray = new Uint32Array(randLen)
function random32() {
if (randomId === randLen) {
randomId = 0
return crypto.getRandomValues(randomArray)[randomId++] * 2.3283064365386963e-10
}
return randomArray[randomId++] * 2.3283064365386963e-10
}
function random64() {
if (randomId === randLen || randomId === randLen - 1) {
randomId = 0
crypto.getRandomValues(randomArray)
}
return randomArray[randomId++] * 2.3283064365386963e-10 + randomArray[randomId++] * 5.421010862427522e-20
}
console.log(random32())
console.log(random64())