Q:

simple rand() question

I need a random 4 digit number
right now im using rand(1000,9999) that always gives me a 4 digit number but i eliminates 0000-0999 as possible results.
how do you pad a random number?
(also this is eventually going to be added to a string do i need to cast the int as a string?)
thanks

A:

In scripting languages like PHP, you don't have to cast in 99% of the cases.
Padding could be done using
sprintf("%04u", rand(0, 9999));

Explanations
the first argument of sprintf specifies the format

% stays for the second, third, forth etc. argument. the first % gets replaced by the second argument, the second % by the third etc.
0 stays for the behaviour of filling with 0 to the left.
4 stays for "At least 4 characters should be printed"
u stays for unsigned integer.

A:

sprintf("%04d", rand(0,9999))

should do what you want

A:

Quick and dirty... how about doing:
rand(10000,19999)

and take the last four digits:
substr(rand(10000, 19999), 1, 4)

