How to Generate Random Numbers Between 1 and 3 in a MySQL Column?

Populating Column Values with Random Numbers

You seek to populate a database column with random numbers within a specified range for each record. Particularly, in your case, you desire to generate numbers between 1 and 3.

Solution:

To fulfill your request, consider utilizing the following MySQL query:

UPDATE tableName SET columnName = FLOOR( 1 + RAND( ) *3 );

Explanation:

The RAND() function in MySQL generates random floating-point values between 0 and 1. Multiplying this value by 3 and adding 1 ensures that the resulting number always falls within the range of 1 to 3.

Using the FLOOR() function then truncates the result to the nearest whole number, guaranteeing that you get integers within the specified range. This ensures that each record's columnName is replaced with a random number between 1 and 3.

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