How does the version of PHP affect the need to initialize the random number generator?

The version of PHP can affect the need to initialize the random number generator because older versions of PHP may not automatically seed the generator, leading to predictable random numbers. To ensure randomness, it is recommended to manually seed the random number generator using the `mt_srand()` function. This will help generate more secure and unpredictable random numbers regardless of the PHP version.

// Seed the random number generator
mt_srand(microtime(true) * 1000000);

// Generate a random number
$randomNumber = mt_rand(1, 100);
echo $randomNumber;