# Setting range values from random numbers
**URL:** https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175
**Category:** Questions
**Created:** [December 11, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175 "2020-12-11T17:51:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Charlie\_Cannon](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Charlie_Cannon)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175/1 "2020-12-11T17:51:26Z")
This is what I tried:
r=randomGenerator(button7.pressCount)
a=r.int(-7,7)
number(`a`):a
b=r.int(-8,a)
What I want to occur is to create two points whose locations are randomly generated along the x-axis. One point (A) will stay within -7 and 7. I want the other point (B) to have a minimum value of -8 and a max value set by the location of the first point so that its always to the left of A.
---
### Author:  [@mxepstein](https://cl.desmos.com/u/mxepstein)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175/2 "2020-12-11T20:17:03Z")
Does something like this help?
> **[randomness • Activity Builder by Desmos](https://teacher.desmos.com/activitybuilder/custom/5fd3d2e1d9ead035a0a2109c)**
>
> by Mx. Epstein
I think you solutions works just fine (maybe there a typo related to quotation marks)
Let me know if I misunderstood you question.
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Cannon](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Charlie_Cannon)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175/3 "2020-12-11T20:26:49Z")
That solution worked great! apparently adding the number(‘b’)=b is the thing that needed to happen. Thank you very much.
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Cannon](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Charlie_Cannon)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2020, 8:37pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175/4 "2020-12-11T20:37:47Z")
So, maybe we can take this a step further: I am working on an activity for segment addition. So, A and C need to be at the end and B in the middle. This is what I start with:
a=r.int(-7,7)
b=r.int(-8,a)
c=r.int(a,7)
number(`a`):a
number(`b`):b
number(`c`):c
This is what I tried and it did not work:
a=r.int(-7,7)
b=r.int(-8,a-1)
c=r.int(a+1,7)
number(`a`):a
number(`b`):b
number(`c`):c
I am fairly certain there is something I need to do but I cannot figure out what. By the way, this is my first week learning CL language so I thank you for your assistance.
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### Author:  [@Daniel\_Grubbs](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Daniel_Grubbs)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175/5 "2020-12-12T01:17:00Z")
You can’t do operations in CL without using `numericValue`, so replace “a-1” with `numericValue("${a}-1")`. Similar for your “a+1”.
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Cannon](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Charlie_Cannon)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175/6 "2020-12-14T13:14:24Z")
> [@Daniel\_Grubbs](#):
>
> numericValue(“${a}-1”)
That works amazingly! Thank you. Is there somewhere in the CL documentation that talks about the use of ${ } that I could read more on? The last couple questions I have had have been answered with this notation.
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### Author:  [@Daniel\_Grubbs](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Daniel_Grubbs)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2020, 6:24pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/setting-range-values-from-random-numbers/2175/7 "2020-12-14T18:24:04Z")
Not sure. Use it to call variables into strings, otherwise it will just put the text in. Generally, I think if the variable’s output doesn’t match the input needed, you need to use `${ }`.
> [@Daniel\_Grubbs](#):
>
> numericValue(“${a}-1”)
For example, in the above, `numericValue` takes a string (indicated by the quotes), but “`a`” is a number, so you need to use `${ }`. Without it, it would be undefined because “`a`” is just text. It doesn’t know where to look for the variable without the `${ }`.