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generate a random password (See related posts)

I recently had need to generate random passwords for users. Obviously they need to be alphanumerica. Here's what I came up with.

def newpass( len )
    chars = ("a".."z").to_a + ("A".."Z").to_a + ("0".."9").to_a
    newpass = ""
    1.upto(len) { |i| newpass << chars[rand(chars.size-1)] }
    return newpass
end


It generates a random password using the upper and lower case alphabet, and the numbers 0 to 9, to the size passed in.

No effort is made to make an easy to read password. For example, 0 (zero) _will_ show up next to O (capital o). Yay.
to ruby random password by jmoses on Fri Jul 22 17:52:42 -0400 2005

Comments on this post

peter posts on Jul 28, 2005 at 22:22
In that case why not just allow a-z and 1-9. That way 0 isn't involved, and it's easier to read as there are only little letters and numbers.
jmoses posts on Jul 29, 2005 at 13:59
Eh. There's no reason not to, I suppose, but I was _really_ lazy. You understand.

If I was really motivated I'd strip out all the look-alikes (1 and I) before generating the password. Wouldn't be hard.
rikkus posts on Jul 31, 2005 at 02:55
You could also use ruby-password to generate. It does 'memorable' passwords too:

http://www.caliban.org/ruby/ruby-password/classes/Password.html#M000005
jmoses posts on Aug 01, 2005 at 20:29
Heh. I should have figured somebody had written and released something like that. Oh well. I learnt something anyways.
itchybeard posts on May 28, 2006 at 02:38
This method doesn't need to be buried though, it can instead be used to generate random keys for databases, cookies and the like. I have a method that does exactly the same thing but written completely differently here:

http://www.bigbold.com/snippets/posts/show/2111

I have to say your one is prettier. I might just steal it ;)
peter posts on Oct 21, 2006 at 13:06
Here's what I'm using nowadays:

chars = ("a".."z").to_a + ("1".."9").to_a 
newpass = Array.new(8, '').collect{chars[rand(chars.size)]}.join
disgustingangel posts on Apr 01, 2007 at 17:28
Maybe

def newpass(len)
chars = ("a".."z").to_a + ("A".."Z").to_a + ("0".."9").to_a
return Array.new(10){||chars[rand(chars.size)]}.join
end

could be more readable?

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