LOTTO
              A Multi-purpose Random Number Generator
                            by John Fox
	
INTRODUCTION

This program is a reasonably flexible random number generator which
in its default mode will simulate the LOTTO 6/49 lottery drawings
that are common to New York, California, and perhaps some other
states.

For a LOTTO simulation, simply reply to the first three queries of
the program with a carriage return and you are off and running.

GENERAL USES

Beyond a LOTTO number generator, the program can be used for some
informal playing around with random numbers.  It asks three
questions of the user:

1. How many numbers are to be chosen?
2. What is the greatest value a number can have?
3. Should they be non-zero, unique numbers or
   should zero and repeats be allowed?

The program does not allow more than 12 numbers to be chosen nor
does it allow a maximum value of more than 99 for any number. 
Those are the only restraints.

Assuming unique, non-zero drawings (as in LOTTO) one could, for
example, simulate the drawing of a 5-card hand from a pack of 52
cards by setting the maximum value for any number at 52 and the
number of selections at 5.  To generate a random ordering of the
numbers from 1 to 10 one would set the maximum value at 10 and the
number of selections at 10.

Answering the third question to allow zero and repeat numbers, one
can generate longer random numbers.  By setting the maximum value
allowed at 9 each number selected becomes, in effect, the digit of
a longer number.  Thus, for example, by making the number of
selections 5 one would generate 5-digit random numbers.

CUSTOMIZING

The numeric values chosen at the start of the program can be made
the default values by exiting the program and then saving its
image by typing SAVE 12 FILE.COM and the A> prompt.  The one other
item that may need customizing is the clearscreen operation.  If
your console does not respond to a simple 1Ah (installed in the
distribution version of the program) you may patch a string in the
program beginning at location 103h.  Five bytes are available and
whatever is installed must be followed by a 00h. 

A NOTE ON RANDOM-NESS

The program does not perform pseudo random selections (like those
done by BASIC).  Just how perfectly random this program's
selections are I cannot swear, but they derive from the refresh
register of the Z80 chip which is in constant and rapid flux, and
the underlying randomizing routine (by Robert Zimmerer -
Microsystems 10/83) seems pretty good.  I have not run any of my
own tests on this implementation.  If someone does I would be
interested in the results.

				John Fox
				January 15, 1987
				Compuserve #72436,3652