Get-Random

Gets a random number, or selects objects randomly from a collection.

Syntax

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Get-Random [-InputObject] <Object[]> [-Count <int>] [-SetSeed <int>] [<CommonParameters>] Get-Random [[-Maximum] <Object>] [-Minimum <Object>] [-SetSeed <int>] [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Get-Random cmdlet gets a randomly selected number. If you submit a collection of objects to Get-Random, it gets one or more randomly selected objects from the collection.

Without parameters or input, a Get-Random command returns a randomly selected 32-bit unsigned integer between 0 (zero) and Int32.MaxValue (0x7FFFFFFF, 2,147,483,647).

You can use the parameters of Get-Random to specify a seed number, minimum and maximum values, and the number of objects returned from a submitted collection.

Parameters

-Count <int>

Determines how many objects are returned. The default is 1. If the value of Count exceeds the number of objects in the collection, Get-Random returns all of the objects in random order.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	1
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-InputObject <Object[]>

Specifies a collection of objects. Get-Random gets randomly selected objects in random order from the collection. Enter the objects, a variable that contains the objects, or a command or expression that gets the objects. You can also pipe a collection of objects to Get-Random.

Required?	true
Position?	1
Default Value
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByValue)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Maximum <Object>

Specifies a maximum value for the random number. Get-Random returns a value that is less than the maximum (not equal). Enter a 32-bit integer or a double-precision floating-point number, or an object that can be converted to an integer or double, such as a numeric string ("100"). The value of Maximum must be greater than (not equal to) the value of Minimum.

If the value of Maximum or Minimum is a floating-point number, Get-Random returns a randomly selected floating-point number.

If the value of Minimum is a double (a floating-point number), the default value of Maximum is Double.MaxValue. Otherwise, the default value is Int32.MaxValue (2,147,483,647 or 0x7FFFFFFF).

Required?	false
Position?	1
Default Value	Int32.MaxValue
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Minimum <Object>

Specifies a minimum value for the random number. Enter a 32-bit integer or a double-precision floating-point number, or an object that can be converted to an integer or double, such as a numeric string ("100"). The default value is 0 (zero).

The value of Minimum must be less than (not equal to) the value of Maximum. If the value of Maximum or Minimum is a floating-point number, Get-Random returns a randomly selected floating-point number.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	0
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-SetSeed <int>

Specifies a seed value for the random number generator. This seed value is used for the current command and for all subsequent Get-Random commands in the current session until you use SetSeed again or close the session. You cannot reset the seed to its default, clock-based value.

The SetSeed parameter is not required. By default, Get-Random uses the system clock to generate a seed value. Because SetSeed results in non-random behavior, it is typically used only when trying to reproduce behavior, such as when debugging or analyzing a script that includes Get-Random commands.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	System clock
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -OutBuffer, -OutVariable, -Verbose, -WarningAction, and -WarningVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.

Inputs and Outputs

The input type is the type of the objects that you can pipe to the cmdlet. The return type is the type of the objects that the cmdlet returns.

Inputs

System.Object

You can pipe one or more objects to Get-Random. Get-Random selects values randomly from the piped objects.

Outputs

System.Object

Get-Random returns an integer or floating-point number, or an object selected randomly from a submitted collection.

Notes

Get-Random sets a default seed for each session based on the system time clock when the session starts.

Example 1

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C:\PS>get-random 3951433 Description ----------- This command gets a random integer between 0 (zero) and Int32.MaxValue.

Example 2

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C:\PS>get-random -maximum 100 47 Description ----------- This command gets a random integer between 0 (zero) and 99.

Example 3

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C:\PS>get-random -minimum -100 -maximum 100 -56 Description ----------- This command gets a random integer between -100 and 99.

Example 4

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C:\PS>get-random -min 10.7 -max 20.93 18.08467273887 Description ----------- This command gets a random floating-point number greater than or equal to 10.7 and less than 20.92.

Example 5

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C:\PS>get-random -input 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 8 Description ----------- This command gets a randomly selected number from the specified array.

Example 6

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C:\PS>get-random -input 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 -count 3 3 1 13 Description ----------- This command gets three randomly selected numbers in random order from the array.

Example 7

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C:\PS>get-random -input 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 -count ([int]::MaxValue) 2 3 5 1 8 13 Description ----------- This command returns the entire collection in random order. The value of the Count parameter is the MaxValue static property of integers. To return an entire collection in random order, enter any number that is greater than or equal to the number of objects in the collection.

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C:\PS>get-random -input 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 -count ([int]::MaxValue)

2
3
5
1
8
13

Description
-----------
This command returns the entire collection in random order. The value of the Count parameter is the MaxValue static property of integers. 

To return an entire collection in random order, enter any number that is greater than or equal to the number of objects in the collection.

Example 8

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C:\PS>get-random -input "red", "yellow", "blue" yellow Description ----------- This command returns a random value from a non-numeric collection.

Example 9

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C:\PS>get-process \| get-random Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) VM(M) CPU(s) Id ProcessName ------- ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ -- ----------- 144 4 2080 488 36 0.48 3164 wmiprvse Description ----------- This command gets a randomly selected process from the collection of processes on the computer.

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C:\PS>get-process | get-random

Handles  NPM(K)	PM(K)	WS(K) VM(M)   CPU(s)	 Id ProcessName
-------  ------	-----	----- -----   ------	 -- -----------
	144	 4	 2080		488	36	 0.48   3164 wmiprvse

Description
-----------
This command gets a randomly selected process from the collection of processes on the computer.

Example 10

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C:\PS>get-content servers.txt \| get-random -count (get-content servers.txt).count \| foreach {invoke-command -computer $_ -command 'get-process powershell'} Description ----------- This command runs a command on a series of remote computers in random order.

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C:\PS>get-content servers.txt | get-random -count (get-content servers.txt).count | foreach {invoke-command -computer $_ -command 'get-process powershell'}

Description
-----------
This command runs a command on a series of remote computers in random order.

Example 11

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C:\PS>get-random -max 100 -setseed 23 # Commands with the default seed are pseudorandom PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 59 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 65 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 21 # Commands with the same seed are not random PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23 74 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23 74 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23 74 # SetSeed results in a repeatable series PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23 74 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 56 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 84 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 46 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23 74 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 56 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 84 PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 46 Description ----------- This example shows the effect of using the SetSeed parameter. Because SetSeed produces non-random behavior, it is typically used only to reproduce results, such as when debugging or analyzing a script.

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C:\PS>get-random -max 100 -setseed 23


# Commands with the default seed are pseudorandom
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
59
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
65
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
21

# Commands with the same seed are not random
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23
74
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23
74
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23
74

# SetSeed results in a repeatable series
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23
74
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
56
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
84
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
46
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100 -setseed 23
74
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
56
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
84
PS C:\ps-test> get-random -max 100
46

Description
-----------
This example shows the effect of using the SetSeed parameter. Because SetSeed produces non-random behavior, it is typically used only to reproduce results, such as when debugging or analyzing a script.

Example 12

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C:\PS>$files = dir -path c:\* -recurse C:\PS> $sample = $files \| get-random -count 50 Description ----------- These commands get a randomly selected sample of 50 files from the C: drive of the local computer.

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C:\PS>$files = dir -path c:\* -recurse

C:\PS> $sample = $files | get-random -count 50

Description
-----------
These commands get a randomly selected sample of 50 files from the C: drive of the local computer.

Example 13

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C:\PS>get-random 10001 7600 Description ----------- This command gets a random integer less than 10001. Because the Maximum parameter has position 1, you can omit the parameter name when the value is the first or only unnamed parameter in the command.

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C:\PS>get-random 10001

7600

Description
-----------
This command gets a random integer less than 10001. Because the Maximum parameter has position 1, you can omit the parameter name when the value is the first or only unnamed parameter in the command.