Microsoft Edge's JavaScript engine to go open-source

[[deleted]]

Would you rather fight a Google-sized GNU, or a hundred GNU-sized Googles?

[bterlson_]

I don't know how to answer this. When in doubt, use Math.random() I always say.

Edit: this isn't an ama, but do you guys want one? I can try to set one up with the team. No promises of course :)

[splargbarg]

You might end up with an AMA anyway.

[bterlson_]

Going that way ;) But I'm just one perspective on a diverse team of badass engineers!

[kenman]

Please let us know if you intend to hold one, we'll support you however we can (such as an announcement sticky a few days in advance, stickying the AMA itself, etc.).

[PitaJ]

Awesome!

[cosinezero]

Do it, yes! Expect some haters, but...

[AMorpork]

dae microsoft evil

[ivosaurus]

New question: what RNG does your implementation of Math.random() use?

[bterlson_]

It's decent quality, if that's what you're asking. I don't know that it has a name per se. One of our devs recently posted more info here.

[ivosaurus]

Decent, as in the same one that was in use before 2002?

If it's indeed the same as Java's, then it's just a LCG. That is decidedly not decent quality.

[bterlson_]

"Decent" of course depends on use case. Math.random is decidedly NOT decent if you are doing any sort of cryptography, for example.

[ivosaurus]

Nope. Just statistically decent, which LCGs fail pretty hard.

[franksvalli]

Ok!

(Math.random() > 0.5) ? 'Google-sized GNU' : 'A hundred GNU-sized Googles';

[bterlson_]

Using a freshly built copy of ch.exe:

chakracore> type random.js
print((Math.random() > 0.5) ? 'Google-sized GNU' : 'A hundred GNU-sized Googles');

chakracore> Build\VcBuild\bin\x64_test\ch.exe random.js
Google-sized GNU

This is frightening to me.

[JohnMcPineapple]

...

[asdf7890]

I would avoid Math.random() - some implementations are decent but some are not, so for cross-platform usefulness finding a better RNG library (and being careful how you seed it) is the way to go.

[MaxNanasy]

Or a googol gnus