VMS Help  —  CRTL  setstate
    Restarts and changes random-number generators.

    Format

      char *setstate  (char *state;)

1  –  Argument

 state

    Points to the array of state information.

2  –  Description

    The setstate function handles restarting and changing random-
    number generators.

    Once you initialize a state, the setstate function allows rapid
    switching between state arrays. The array defined by state is
    used for further random-number generation until the initstate
    function is called or the setstate function is called again. The
    setstate function returns a pointer to the previous state array.

    After initialization, you can restart a state array at a
    different point in one of two ways:

    o  Use the initstate function, with the desired seed, state
       array, and size of the array.

    o  Use the setstate function, with the desired state, followed by
       the srandom function with the desired seed. The advantage of
       using both functions is that you do not have to save the state
       array size once you initialize it.

    See also initstate, srandom, and random.

3  –  Return Values

    x                  A pointer to the previous state array
                       information.
    0                  Indicates an error. The state information is
                       damaged, and errno is set to the following
                       value:

                       o  EINVAL-The state argument is invalid.
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