The PHP Function Rand
The php function rand is an important tool for any PHP developer who needs to generate random integers or strings. It is also a valuable skill for anyone who writes password generators and other security-related applications that require randomness.
The rand() function creates random numbers by using the underlying operating system’s random number generator (or RNG). This method is not suitable for cryptographical use, however, because it generates predictable sequences based on the seed value passed to it. A much better alternative for generating cryptographically secure pseudorandom numbers is the random_int() or random_bytes() function from the openSSL extension.
These functions take two parameters, min and max, which determine the range of the random number generated. If the range is not set to a specific value, the function returns 0 or the maximum platform-dependent random number that can be generated.
Generally, if the rand() function is used with a value that is not an integer or string type, an exception will be thrown. This is because PHP uses the strict data typing feature, which means that a variable must match the intended type or an exception will be raised.
The rand() function was invented by Rasmus Lerdorf, who developed PHP as a template language for the Web. He adapted C libraries with different APIs, and because of this, the function names and order of arguments in PHP are somewhat inconsistent. However, PHP has since added the feature of allowing developers to use variable types in the arguments passed to a function, which eliminates this confusion.