How do I generate my own custom api key in vb.net?

Question

1.00/5 (1 vote)

See more:

Hi guys,
I have a problem. I have some code which generates an API key. It needs one letter at the front and 19 numbers after it. The problem is my code won't convert the first number into a letter.
Here is my code (it is long and slow), if you can improve it, please feel free to do so:

VB

Private Function GenerateAPI() As String
        Dim letter As String
        Dim number As String
        Randomize()
        number = Int(Rnd() * 26) + 1
        letter = number.Replace(1, "a")
        letter = number.Replace(2, "b")
        letter = number.Replace(3, "c")
        letter = number.Replace(4, "d")
        letter = number.Replace(5, "e")
        letter = number.Replace(6, "f")
        letter = number.Replace(7, "g")
        letter = number.Replace(8, "h")
        letter = number.Replace(9, "i")
        letter = number.Replace(10, "j")
        letter = number.Replace(11, "k")
        letter = number.Replace(12, "l")
        letter = number.Replace(13, "m")
        letter = number.Replace(14, "n")
        letter = number.Replace(15, "o")
        letter = number.Replace(16, "p")
        letter = number.Replace(17, "q")
        letter = number.Replace(18, "r")
        letter = number.Replace(19, "s")
        letter = number.Replace(20, "t")
        letter = number.Replace(21, "u")
        letter = number.Replace(22, "v")
        letter = number.Replace(23, "w")
        letter = number.Replace(24, "x")
        letter = number.Replace(25, "y")
        letter = number.Replace(26, "z")
        GenerateAPI = letter
        MsgBox(letter)
        For i As Integer = 0 To 19
            Randomize()
            Dim x As Integer = Int(Rnd() * 9) + 1
            GenerateAPI &= x
        Next
    End Function

Thanks in advance.

Posted 19-Mar-15 16:43pm

iProgramIt

Add a Solution

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Mar-15 22:56pm

This code sample is opposite to programming. You should not repeat anything as you do, repeating the same string 26 times. Use the loop. Use other abstractions. Programming is all about abstractions and not doing repetitive work.

Now, what you are trying to achieve? Anyway, your problem does not worth fixing (which is way too trivial), until you grasp what is programming and what is good for.

—SA

iProgramIt 19-Mar-15 23:03pm

You are a very rude person. The same person who keeps FU**ing baggin me. Shut the hell up and piss off

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Mar-15 23:19pm

No, I'm not, not at all, I only have the habit to tell truth, I never say anything bad about a person. The rude behavior here is yours, writing bad words which almost no one allows here, not only ignorant. It's up to you if you want to keep fooling yourself, it's only bad for you no one else. Sorry, really sorry for you. You cannot get any help.
—SA

2 solutions

Solution 2

Yes... you can...

That would simplify the code somewhat...

C#

Dim r As New Random()
Dim x = "abcdefghjklmnpqrstuvwxy"
Dim sb = New StringBuilder()
sb.Append(x(r.[Next](0, x.Length)))
For i As Integer = 0 To 18
	sb.Append(r.[Next](0, 10))
Next
Console.WriteLine(sb.ToString())
Console.ReadKey()

Posted 19-Mar-15 17:54pm

LGM-Developer

Add a Solution

Add your solution here

Treat my content as plain text, not as HTML

Preview 0

…

Existing Members

Sign in to your account

...or Join us

Download, Vote, Comment, Publish.

Your Email
Password
Forgot your password?

Your Email
This email is in use. Do you need your password?
Optional Password

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Please subscribe me to the CodeProject newsletters

When answering a question please:

Read the question carefully.
Understand that English isn't everyone's first language so be lenient of bad spelling and grammar.
If a question is poorly phrased then either ask for clarification, ignore it, or edit the question and fix the problem. Insults are not welcome.
Don't tell someone to read the manual. Chances are they have and don't get it. Provide an answer or move on to the next question.

Let's work to help developers, not make them feel stupid.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

LGM-Developer · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-19T17:18:00

Here is a quick and nasty solution... I have omitted the letters I and O since they can be easily confused for 1 and 0...

Just a couple of comments...

1. Strings are immutable, strings immutable has many advantages. It provides automatic thread safety, and makes strings behave like an intrinsic type in a simple, effective manner. This allows for extra efficiencies at runtime (such as allowing effective string interning to reduce resource usage), and has huge security advantages, since it's impossible for an third party API call to change your strings.

StringBuilder was added in order to address the one major disadvantage of immutable strings - runtime construction of immutable types causes a lot of GC pressure and is inherently slow. By making an explicit, mutable class to handle this, this issue is addressed without adding unneeded complication to the string class.

2. The ToCharArray() function will allow you to quickly break a string into a character array that you can use for your first character.

VB

Dim r As New Random()
Dim x = "abcdefghjklmnpqrstuvwxy"
Dim xx = x.ToCharArray()
Dim sb = New StringBuilder()
sb.Append(xx(r.[Next](0, xx.Length)))
For i As Integer = 0 To 18
    sb.Append(r.[Next](0, 10))
Next
Console.WriteLine(sb.ToString())
Console.ReadKey()

PS Please don't be so harsh... We all started somewhere...