--- loncom/homework/default_homework.lcpm	2019/04/03 21:37:11	1.176
+++ loncom/homework/default_homework.lcpm	2019/11/06 16:20:06	1.177
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA 
 # used by lonxml::xmlparse() as input variable $safeinit to Apache::run::run()
 #
-# $Id: default_homework.lcpm,v 1.176 2019/04/03 21:37:11 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: default_homework.lcpm,v 1.177 2019/11/06 16:20:06 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #init some globals
 $hidden::RANDOMINIT=0;
+$hidden::RANDOMINITTRYPART='';
 $pi=atan2(1,1)*4;
 $rad2deg=180.0/$pi;
 $deg2rad=$pi/180.0;
@@ -655,7 +656,9 @@ sub hinton {
 
 sub random {
     my ($start,$end,$step)=@_;
-    if ( ! $hidden::RANDOMINIT ) {
+    if (( ! $hidden::RANDOMINIT ) ||
+        (($external::randomizetrypart ne '') &&
+         ($hidden::RANDOMINITTRYPART ne $external::randomizetrypart))) {
         if ($external::randomseed == 0) { $external::randomseed=1; }
         if ($external::randomseed =~/,/) {
             my ($num1,$num2) = map { abs($_); } split(/,/,$external::randomseed);
@@ -681,6 +684,7 @@ sub random {
         }
 	&math_random_uniform();
 	$hidden::RANDOMINIT=1;
+        $hidden::RANDOMINITTRYPART=$external::randomizetrypart;
     }
     if (!defined($step)) { $step=1; }
     my $num=1+int(($end-$start)/$step);