[your code here]

[Alf P. Steinbach]

On 18.02.2012 02:39, H. S. Teoh wrote:
> // Outputs a randomly selected line from standard input with equal
> // likelihood.
> import std.random;
> import std.stdio;
>
> void main() {
> 	auto n = 0;
> 	string choice;
> 	foreach (line; stdin.byLine()) {
> 		n++;
> 		if (uniform(0,n) == 0)
> 			choice = line.idup;
> 	}
> 	writeln(choice);
> }
>
>
> P.S. Proof that the probability any line is selected is exactly 1/n
> (where n is the total number of lines read) is left as an exercise for
> the reader. ;-)

Assuming that by "any" you mean "any particular", you would have to read 
all the lines first. Otherwise, if the code selects the first line with 
probability 1/K, then I can just input some other number of lines.


> P.S.S. The .idup is a bit ugly, but necessary, since apparently byLine()
> calls readln() with a static buffer, so choice will be silently
> overwritten if the .idup is omitted.

That sounds ominous. One should never have to be aware of low level 
details in order to do simple string assignment or initialization, when 
the source already is a string. Does one really have to do that in D?


Cheers & hth.,

- Alf