Create random values between two decimal values

I have written this code so far:

%create initial elastic net points as evenly spaced in horizontal position
%with random vertical components.
%create the initial matrix
en_points = zeros(NUM_EN_POINTS,2);
%make the x comp evenly spaced horizontally spanning the length of cities
en_points(1:NUM_EN_POINTS,1) = transpose(linspace(0,1,NUM_EN_POINTS));
%make the y comp a random value between the cities
en_points(1:NUM_EN_POINTS,2) = rand();

What I am trying to do is make column 2 be a random variable between two decimal values, which are (0.5 - l, 0.5 + l).

Is this possible?

Answer 1

[Razvan]

 en_points(:,2) = (0.5 - l) + 2*l*rand(NUM_EN_POINTS,1);

Answer 2

[Andrei Bobrov]

use unifrnd from the Statistics Toolbox

en_points(1:NUM_EN_POINTS,2) = unifrnd(.5 - l,.5 + l,NUM_EN_POINTS,1);

OR

en_points(1:NUM_EN_POINTS,2) = .5 - l + 2*l*rand(NUM_EN_POINTS,1);

Answer 3

[Image Analyst]

Perhaps you overlooked the first example in the help for rand(). Here it is:

Example 1

   Generate values from the uniform distribution on the interval [a, b]:
   r = a + (b-a).*rand(100,1);