--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2001/08/20 19:41:54	1.154
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2001/08/20 23:28:43	1.155
@@ -72,7 +72,12 @@
 # EXT(name)          : value of a variable
 # symblist(map,hash) : Updates symbolic storage links
 # symbread([filename]) : returns the data handle (filename optional)
-# rndseed()          : returns a random seed 
+# rndseed([symb,courseid,domain,uname])
+#                    : returns a random seed, all arguments are optional,
+#                      if they aren't sent it use the environment to derive
+#                      them
+#                      Note: if symb isn't sent and it can't get one from
+#                      &symbread it will use the current time as it's return
 # receipt()          : returns a receipt to be given out to users 
 # getfile(filename)  : returns the contents of filename, or a -1 if it can't
 #                      be found, replicates and subscribes to the file
@@ -2144,16 +2149,21 @@ sub numval {
 }    
 
 sub rndseed {
-    my $symb;
-    unless ($symb=&symbread()) { return time; }
-    { 
+    my ($symb,$courseid,$domain,$username)=@_;
+    if (!$symb) {
+      unless ($symb=&symbread()) { return time; }
+    }
+    if (!$courseid) { $courseid=$ENV{'request.course.id'};}
+    if (!$domain) {$domain=$ENV{'user.domain'};}
+    if (!$username) {$username=$ENV{'user.name'};}
+    {
       use integer;
       my $symbchck=unpack("%32C*",$symb) << 27;
       my $symbseed=numval($symb) << 22;
-      my $namechck=unpack("%32C*",$ENV{'user.name'}) << 17;
-      my $nameseed=numval($ENV{'user.name'}) << 12;
-      my $domainseed=unpack("%32C*",$ENV{'user.domain'}) << 7;
-      my $courseseed=unpack("%32C*",$ENV{'request.course.id'});
+      my $namechck=unpack("%32C*",$username) << 17;
+      my $nameseed=numval($username) << 12;
+      my $domainseed=unpack("%32C*",$domain) << 7;
+      my $courseseed=unpack("%32C*",$courseid);
       my $num=$symbseed+$nameseed+$domainseed+$courseseed+$namechck+$symbchck;
       #uncommenting these lines can break things!
       #&Apache::lonxml::debug("$symbseed:$nameseed;$domainseed|$courseseed;$namechck:$symbchck");