Improve docs for random.seed()

rhettinger · rhettinger · commit 16eb827b33cc · 2016-09-04T11:17:28.000-07:00
diff --git a/Doc/library/random.rst b/Doc/library/random.rst
@@ -63,8 +63,11 @@ Bookkeeping functions:
    If *a* is an int, it is used directly.
 
    With version 2 (the default), a :class:`str`, :class:`bytes`, or :class:`bytearray`
-   object gets converted to an :class:`int` and all of its bits are used.  With version 1,
-   the :func:`hash` of *a* is used instead.
+   object gets converted to an :class:`int` and all of its bits are used.
+
+   With version 1 (provided for reproducing random sequences from older versions
+   of Python), the algorithm for :class:`str` and :class:`bytes` generates a
+   narrower range of seeds.
 
    .. versionchanged:: 3.2
       Moved to the version 2 scheme which uses all of the bits in a string seed.
diff --git a/Lib/random.py b/Lib/random.py
@@ -96,11 +96,13 @@ def seed(self, a=None, version=2):
         None or no argument seeds from current time or from an operating
         system specific randomness source if available.
 
-        For version 2 (the default), all of the bits are used if *a* is a str,
-        bytes, or bytearray.  For version 1, the hash() of *a* is used instead.
-
         If *a* is an int, all bits are used.
 
+        For version 2 (the default), all of the bits are used if *a* is a str,
+        bytes, or bytearray.  For version 1 (provided for reproducing random
+        sequences from older versions of Python), the algorithm for str and
+        bytes generates a narrower range of seeds.
+
         """
 
         if a is None:
