C++ Program to Generate Random Hexadecimal Bytes

We shall discuss about a C++ program which can generate random Hexadecimal numbers. Here we shall use rand() and itoa() functions to implement the same. Let us discuss on these functions separately and categorically.

rand(): rand() function is a predefined method of C++. It is declared in header file. rand() is used to generate random number within a range. Here min_n is the minimum range of the random numbers and max_n is the maximum range of the numbers. So rand() will return the random numbers between min_n to (max_n – 1) inclusive of the limit values. Here if we mention lower and upper limits as 1 and 100 respectively, then rand() will return values from 1 to (100 – 1). i.e. from 1 to 99.

itoa(): It returns the converted value of a decimal or integer number. It converts the value to a null-terminated string with a specified base. It stores the converted value to a user defined array.

Syntax

itoa(new_n, Hexadec_n, 16);

Here new_n is any random integer number and Hexadec_n is the user defined array and 16 is the base of hexadecimal number. That means in converts a decimal or integer number to hexadecimal number.

Algorithm

Begin
   Declare max_n to the integer datatype.
      Initialize max_n = 100.
   Declare min_n to the integer datatype.
      Initialize min_n = 1.
   Declare an array Hexadec_n to the character datatype.
   Declare new_n to the integer datatype.
   Declare i to the integer datatype.
   for (i = 0; i 
Example
#include
#include
#include
using namespace std;
int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   int max_n = 100;
   int min_n = 1;
   char Hexadec_n[100];
   int new_n;
   int i;
   for (i = 0; i 
Output
The random number is: 42
Equivalent Hex Byte: 2a
The random number is: 68
Equivalent Hex Byte: 44
The random number is: 35
Equivalent Hex Byte: 23
The random number is: 1
Equivalent Hex Byte: 1
The random number is: 70
Equivalent Hex Byte: 46