Tip #8: Using RAND and RANDBETWEEN functions to generate random data sets

Have you ever spent hours working on a sample data record for a demonstration? We're here to show you how to do it in less time. If you want to generate a sample data set for a demonstration, or just to learn how a pivot table works, using the RAND and RANDBETWEEN functions can be a savior. With these functions, you can generate random data that includes text, numbers, dates, and even cell references.

How to use them

The RAND function generates random values with no defined limits, while RANDBETWEEN, as its name signifies, returns random values within a specified range of values. Let's see how they can be used to generate various data sets.

Random numbers

To get random numbers, you can use these functions the default way (i.e. without any special changes).

Example

=RAND() returns float values between 0 and 1

=RANDBETWEEN(10;100) returns values between 10 and 100, inclusive

Random text values

To get random text values (letters of the alphabet), you can use the RANDBETWEEN function in combination with the CHAR function. The numbers given as the input must be between 65 to 90 for capital letters and 97 to 122 for small letters.

Example

=CHAR(RANDBETWEEN(65;90)) returns capital letters

Random date values

To get random date values, you can use the RANDBETWEEN function and specify the start and end dates. If the result is returned in the form of a date-time serial number, apply the Date format to the cells to get the desired result.

Example

=RANDBETWEEN("1/2/2022";"19/2/2022") returns dates from the given date range

Random cell references

To get random cell references as the result, use RANDBETWEEN function in combination with ADDRESS function. You can also choose the reference type to be absolute or relative.

Example

=ADDRESS(RANDBETWEEN(1;100);RANDBETWEEN(1;5);4) returns random cell references between columns A to E and rows 1 to 100.

Random values from a list

If you wish to get random values from a specified data set or range of values, you can use RANDBETWEEN in combination with INDEX function.

Example

=INDEX(L2:L8;RANDBETWEEN(1;5);1;1) returns random values from the cell range L2:L8.

Apart from the above mentioned functions, you can also use RANDARRAY and SEQUENCE to get an array of random and ordered data respectively! Are there any specific features you'd like to learn more about in future tips? Tell us in the comments below!

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