Implementation change to .NET's Random()

Question

I am migrating a method that is used for decoding from .NET Framework 1.1 to .NET Framework 4. I noticed that implementation of Random changed. So given the same seed, Random.NextBytes returns different result.

So if I run the following code.

byte[] bytes = new byte[4];
System.Random random = new System.Random(50);
random.NextBytes(bytes);

for(int i=0; i< bytes.Length; i++)
{
  Console.WriteLine("bytes[" + i + "] = " + bytes[i]);
}

Under .NET Framework 1.1 it returns:

bytes[0] = 216
bytes[1] = 124
bytes[2] = 183
bytes[3] =  58

Under .NET framework 4 it returns:

bytes[0] = 154
bytes[1] =  49
bytes[2] = 183
bytes[3] =  48

What is the best way to resolve this problem?

Answer 1

This is not a problem with Random, it satisfies its documented interface perfectly fine. This is a problem with your software relying on an implementation detail. Learn from this mistake and don't do it again.

As far as fixing the problem, you can implement your own version of 1.1's pseudorandom number generation for decoding and then implement a new encoding/decoding algorithm that doesn't rely on unstable behavior (such as the implementation of Random or GetHashCode) for your new version of the software.

Answer 2

You can just use Reflector to copy the Random class from the 1.1 mscorlib.

public class Random1_1
{
    // Fields
    private int inext;
    private int inextp;
    private const int MBIG = 0x7fffffff;
    private const int MSEED = 0x9a4ec86;
    private const int MZ = 0x0;
    private int[] SeedArray;

    // Methods
    public Random1_1()
        : this(Environment.TickCount)
    {
    }

    public Random1_1(int Seed)
    {
        this.SeedArray = new int[0x38];
        int num2 = 0x9a4ec86 - Math.Abs(Seed);
        this.SeedArray[0x37] = num2;
        int num3 = 0x1;
        for (int i = 0x1; i < 0x37; i++)
        {
            int index = (0x15 * i) % 0x37;
            this.SeedArray[index] = num3;
            num3 = num2 - num3;
            if (num3 < 0x0)
            {
                num3 += 0x7fffffff;
            }
            num2 = this.SeedArray[index];
        }
        for (int j = 0x1; j < 0x5; j++)
        {
            for (int k = 0x1; k < 0x38; k++)
            {
                this.SeedArray[k] -= this.SeedArray[0x1 + ((k + 0x1e) % 0x37)];
                if (this.SeedArray[k] < 0x0)
                {
                    this.SeedArray[k] += 0x7fffffff;
                }
            }
        }
        this.inext = 0x0;
        this.inextp = 0x15;
        Seed = 0x1;
    }

    public virtual int Next()
    {
        return (int)(this.Sample() * 2147483647.0);
    }

    public virtual int Next(int maxValue)
    {
        if (maxValue < 0x0)
        {
            throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("maxValue");
        }
        return (int)(this.Sample() * maxValue);
    }

    public virtual int Next(int minValue, int maxValue)
    {
        if (minValue > maxValue)
        {
            throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("minValue");
        }
        int num = maxValue - minValue;
        if (num < 0x0)
        {
            long num2 = maxValue - minValue;
            return (((int)((long)(this.Sample() * num2))) + minValue);
        }
        return (((int)(this.Sample() * num)) + minValue);
    }

    public virtual void NextBytes(byte[] buffer)
    {
        if (buffer == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("buffer");
        }
        for (int i = 0x0; i < buffer.Length; i++)
        {
            buffer[i] = (byte)(this.Sample() * 256.0);
        }
    }

    public virtual double NextDouble()
    {
        return this.Sample();
    }

    protected virtual double Sample()
    {
        int inext = this.inext;
        int inextp = this.inextp;
        if (++inext >= 0x38)
        {
            inext = 0x1;
        }
        if (++inextp >= 0x38)
        {
            inextp = 0x1;
        }
        int num = this.SeedArray[inext] - this.SeedArray[inextp];
        if (num < 0x0)
        {
            num += 0x7fffffff;
        }
        this.SeedArray[inext] = num;
        this.inext = inext;
        this.inextp = inextp;
        return (num * 4.6566128752457969E-10);
    }
}

Tested and it gives the desired output.