Metadata

ID: ruby-code-style/random-numbers

Language: Ruby

Severity: Notice

Category: Best Practices

Description

In Ruby, it’s considered a better practice to use ranges when generating random numbers. This rule is important because it promotes the use of more idiomatic Ruby code and enhances readability. Using a range to generate a random number clearly shows the minimum and maximum values, which makes the code easier to understand.

Non-compliant code, such as rand(42) + 1, is less clear because it’s not immediately obvious what the range of possible values is. This can lead to confusion and potential bugs in the code.

To follow this rule, use a range when generating random numbers. For example, rand(1..42) is a much clearer way of generating a random number between 1 and 42. This makes it obvious to anyone reading the code what the range of possible values is, thus improving the readability and maintainability of your code.

Non-Compliant Code Examples

rand(42) + 1

Compliant Code Examples

rand(1..42)