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What does "randomness" mean in programming?

randomness is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

The lack of pattern or predictability in a sequence of values. In software, randomness is generated by pseudorandom number generators (PRNGs) seeded by entropy. True randomness requires hardware sources. Cryptographic operations require cryptographically secure randomness.

Example

"Use a cryptographically secure random number generator for session tokens — Math.random() is not random enough."

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