# Get a low-quality random number between two integers. Depending on the awk # implementation, if you don't provide a third argument (a seed), you might get # very predictable random numbers based on the current epoch second. BEGIN { # Seed with the third argument if given if (ARGV[3]) { srand(ARGV[3]) } # If not, just seed with what is probably a date/time-derived value else { srand() } # Print a random integer bounded by the first and second arguments print int(ARGV[1]+rand()*(ARGV[2]-ARGV[1]+1)) # Bail before processing any lines exit }