Not sure what I'm doing wrong (Random Number Generator)

[Satchmo10th]

First let me say thanks for this forum. I'm taking my first C++ class (an online class, mind you) and being able to find topics on here has been big help.

I'm in the middle of a project and I cannot figure out what is wrong with my random number generator. Everything else is working but this is giving me fits. It either returns 0 or returns something like "00A5246." Is there something wrong with the generator? Am I not returning it to main correctly? I'm lost at this point. Also, while building the various functions I was inputting a value for int W. It's not there right now so you will need to add it if you want to test the functions without the generator.

Lastly, I tried testing the generator by itself and was getting results outside my max. How is that possible?

// Description:		Shape Display Project
// IDE used:		Visual Studio 2013 Express

#include <iostream>
#include <ctime>
#include <cstdlib>



using namespace std;

int Sel, W;

void displayMenu();
//Displays menu for user to make selection

int getWidth();
/*Calculates random odd number between 3 & 11 to be used for width
in later "display" functions*/

void displaySquare();
//Displays square shape

void displayTriangle();
//Displays triangle shape

void displayUpsideDownTriangle();
//Displays upside down triangle

void displayDiamond();
//Displays diamond shape

int main()
{
	do
	{

		displayMenu();

		cout << "     ";
		cin >> Sel;

		if (Sel == 1 || Sel == 2 || Sel == 3 || Sel == 4)
		{
			getWidth();
		}

		switch (Sel)
		{
		case 1:
			displaySquare();
			break;
		case 2:
			displayTriangle();
			break;
		case 3:
			displayUpsideDownTriangle();
			break;
		case 4:
			displayDiamond();
			break;
		case -9:
			cout << "\n\n     End of Program\n\n";
			break;
		default:
			cout << "\n\n	Invalid selection. Please choose again.\n\n";
		}

	} while (Sel != -9);

	system("pause");
	return 0;

}

void displayMenu()
//Displays menu for user selection
{
	using namespace std;

	cout << endl;
	cout << "     Shape Display Menu\n\n";
	cout << "       1....Square\n";
	cout << "       2....Triangle\n";
	cout << "       3....Upside Down Triangle\n";
	cout << "       4....Diamond\n\n";
	cout << "      -9....Exit Program\n\n";
	cout << "     Make a selection\n\n";

}


int getWidth()
//Generates random odd width between 3 & 11
{
	srand((unsigned)time(0));

	W = 3+(rand()%11);

	while (W == 4 || W == 6 || W == 8 || W == 10 || W == 12 || W == 13)
		{
			W = 3+(rand()%11);
		}

return(W);

}


void displaySquare()
//Displays square shape
{
	int hgt = W;
	
	for (int disY = 0; disY < hgt; disY++)
	{
		cout << "     ";
		for (int disX = 0; disX < W; disX++)
		{
			cout << "#";
		}
		cout << endl;
	}

	cout << endl;

}



void displayUpsideDownTriangle()
//Displays upside down triangle shape
{

	int hgt = W / 2 + 1;
	for (int r = 0; r < hgt; r++)
	{
		cout << "   ";
		for (int x = 0; x < r; x++)
			cout << " ";

		for (int c = 0; c < W; c++)
			cout << "#";

		cout << endl;
		W = W - 2;

	}
}

void displayTriangle()
//Displays triangle shape
{
	
	int Hgt = (W / 2) + 1;
	int dis = W / W;
	int Spc = Hgt;

	for (int x = 0; x < Hgt; x++)
	{
		cout << "   ";
		for (int y = 0; y < (Spc - 1); y++)
		{
			cout << " ";
		}

		for (int z = 0; z < dis; z++)
		{
			cout << "#";
		}
		cout << endl;

		dis = dis + 2;
		Spc = Spc - 1;
	}
}

void displayDiamond()
//Displays diamond shape
{
	displayTriangle();
	displayUpsideDownTriangle();
}

[LB]

You should only call srand() once at the start of your program, and then never again.

By the way, rand() and srand() are being deprecated - don't use them anymore. Instead, use the new random generators available in the <random> header:
http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/random/
http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/header/random

[Satchmo10th]

Thanks! That helped. Unfortunately, I don't have a choice of what commands to use right now, although I will make note of it for my own use. This professor is very much "if it isn't exactly what I told you, it's wrong" and that's what I was told to use.

Thanks for the help!