Random lowercase letter

In a C# program, a random lowercase letter is needed. It must be between "a" and "z" inclusive. We can get this letter with a special method.

Method info

We generate random characters by providing inclusive and exclusive bounds to the Random variable. We can then convert the numbers returned to characters.

Example code

The RandomLetter class is a static class, meaning it cannot be instantiated. GetLetter provides a way to get the next random letter.

using System;

static class RandomLetter
{
    static Random _random = new Random();
    public static char GetLetter()
    {
        // This method returns a random lowercase letter.
        // ... Between 'a' and 'z' inclusive.
        int num = _random.Next(0, 26); // Zero to 25
        char let = (char)('a' + num);
        return let;
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Get random lowercase letters.
        Console.WriteLine(RandomLetter.GetLetter());
        Console.WriteLine(RandomLetter.GetLetter());
        Console.WriteLine(RandomLetter.GetLetter());
        Console.WriteLine(RandomLetter.GetLetter());
        Console.WriteLine(RandomLetter.GetLetter());
    }
}
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Random fields

When using Random, it is often useful to store the Random variable itself as a static field. Random implements a stream of randomness.

Summary

We examined a program that implements a random letter generation routine. The method shown returns a random letter between "a" and "z" in char representation.

Final notes

The method can be called sequentially—it is a random stream. The static modifier is used here to simplify the program layout and reduce instantiations.