--- /dev/null
+%% Copyright (c) 2011, INRA
+%% 2007-2011, David Legland <david.legland@grignon.inra.fr>
+%% 2011 Adapted to Octave by Juan Pablo Carbajal <carbajal@ifi.uzh.ch>
+%%
+%% All rights reserved.
+%% (simplified BSD License)
+%%
+%% Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+%% modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+%%
+%% 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
+%% list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+%%
+%% 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+%% this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+%% and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+%%
+%% THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
+%% AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+%% IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+%% ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
+%% LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
+%% CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
+%% SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
+%% INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
+%% CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
+%% ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
+%% POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+%%
+%% The views and conclusions contained in the software and documentation are
+%% those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing official
+%% policies, either expressed or implied, of copyright holder.
+
+%% -*- texinfo -*-
+%% @deftypefn {Function File} {@var{points} =} randomPointInBox (@var{box})
+%% @deftypefnx {Function File} {@var{points} =} randomPointInBox (@var{box}, @var{n})
+%% Generate random points within a box.
+%%
+%% Generate a random point within the box @var{box}. The result is a 1-by-2 row
+%% vector. If @var{n} is given, generates @var{n} points. The result is a
+%% @var{n}-by-2 array.
+%%
+%% Example
+%%
+%% @example
+%% % draw points within a box
+%% box = [10 80 20 60];
+%% pts = randomPointInBox(box, 500);
+%% figure(1); clf; hold on;
+%% drawBox(box);
+%% drawPoint(pts, '.');
+%% axis('equal');
+%% axis([0 100 0 100]);
+%% @end example
+%%
+%% @seealso{edges2d, boxes2d, clipLine}
+%% @end deftypefn
+
+function points = randomPointInBox(box, N=1, varargin)
+
+ % extract box bounds
+ xmin = box(1);
+ xmax = box(2);
+ ymin = box(3);
+ ymax = box(4);
+
+ % compute size of box
+ dx = xmax - xmin;
+ dy = ymax - ymin;
+
+ % compute point coordinates
+ points = [rand(N, 1)*dx+xmin , rand(N, 1)*dy+ymin];
+
+endfunction
+
+%!demo
+%! % draw points within a box
+%! bb = [10 80 20 60];
+%! pts = randomPointInBox(bb, 500);
+%! figure(1); clf; hold on;
+%! drawBox(bb);
+%! drawPoint(pts, '.');
+%! axis equal
+%! axis([0 100 0 100]);
+