RANDOMISE

Syntax: RANDOMISE [(start)]          
    or: RANDOMISE \     (Minerva v1.82+ only)
Location: QL ROM

SuperBASIC uses a standard method to generate pseudo random numbers. Each time that the function RND is called, a start value specified by the command RANDOMISE is multiplied by a large number and another number is added, the solution is modulated and the final number is nearly unpredictable. 

This method means that after a RANDOMISE command with parameter, RND will always generate the same numbers. If you pick another number as the parameter (or do not specify a parameter at all), this will let RND produce other numbers. 

If no parameter is specified, RANDOMISE calculates a random number by combining some internal system data such as the time, date, pointers etc. 

Example:
100 RANDOMISE 38
110 FOR n=1 TO 10: PRINT RND(10)

The program will always write the same ten random numbers on the screen. 

MINERVA NOTE:
The main problem with using RANDOMISE is that even without a parameter, the same pattern of 'random' numbers is generated if the interval between when the compuvery time that a program is run. 

Although v2.53+ of SMS makes RANDOMISE without a parameter more random, the only other fix is on v1.82+ of Minerva which allows you to use:

RANDOMISE \ 
instead of the normal RANDOMISE which should alleviate this problem somewhat.

CROSS-REFERENCE:
RND is the function that returns a random number. 
RANDOMISE influences MATRND in the same way.
