uniqid

What is uniqid?

The uniqid npm package is a simple utility for generating unique IDs based on the current time, process ID, and a random number. It is useful for creating unique identifiers for objects, database entries, or any other entities that require a unique ID.

What are uniqid's main functionalities?

Basic Unique ID Generation

Generates a unique ID using the default settings. This ID is based on the current time, process ID, and a random number.

const uniqid = require('uniqid');
const id = uniqid();
console.log(id);

Unique ID with Prefix

Generates a unique ID with a specified prefix. This can be useful for categorizing or identifying the source of the ID.

const uniqid = require('uniqid');
const idWithPrefix = uniqid('prefix-');
console.log(idWithPrefix);

Unique ID with Suffix

Generates a unique ID with a specified suffix. This can be useful for adding additional context or information to the ID.

const uniqid = require('uniqid');
const idWithSuffix = uniqid('', '-suffix');
console.log(idWithSuffix);

Unique ID with Both Prefix and Suffix

Generates a unique ID with both a specified prefix and suffix. This provides maximum flexibility for customizing the ID format.

const uniqid = require('uniqid');
const idWithBoth = uniqid('prefix-', '-suffix');
console.log(idWithBoth);

Other packages similar to uniqid

uuid

The uuid package is a popular library for generating RFC4122 UUIDs (Universally Unique Identifiers). It supports multiple versions of UUIDs, including v1 (timestamp-based), v4 (random), and others. Compared to uniqid, uuid provides more standardized and widely recognized unique identifiers.

nanoid

The nanoid package is a small, secure, URL-friendly unique string ID generator. It is known for its performance and small size. Unlike uniqid, which is based on the current time and process ID, nanoid generates IDs using a cryptographic random number generator, making it more suitable for security-sensitive applications.

shortid

The shortid package is used for generating short, non-sequential, URL-friendly unique IDs. It is designed to be simple and lightweight. While uniqid focuses on time-based uniqueness, shortid generates shorter IDs that are easier to use in URLs and other contexts where brevity is important.

README

A Unique Hexatridecimal ID generator.

It will always create unique id's based on the current time, process and machine name.

// install with npm 
npm install uniqid

// install with yarn
yarn add uniqid

Usage

import uniqid from 'uniqid';

console.log(uniqid()); // -> 4n5pxq24kpiob12og9
console.log(uniqid(), uniqid()); // -> 4n5pxq24kriob12ogd, 4n5pxq24ksiob12ogl

Usage with Require

var uniqid = require('uniqid'); 

console.log(uniqid()); // -> 4n5pxq24kpiob12og9
console.log(uniqid(), uniqid()); // -> 4n5pxq24kriob12ogd, 4n5pxq24ksiob12ogl

Features

• Very fast
• Generates unique id's on multiple processes and machines even if called at the same time.
• Shorter 8 and 12 byte versions with less uniqueness.

How it works

• With the current time the ID's are always unique in a single process.
• With the Process ID the ID's are unique even if called at the same time from multiple processes.
• With the MAC Address the ID's are unique even if called at the same time from multiple machines and processes.

API:

uniqid( prefix optional string , suffix optional string )

Generate 18 byte unique id's based on the time, process id and mac address. Works on multiple processes and machines.

uniqid() -> "4n5pxq24kpiob12og9"
uniqid('hello-') -> "hello-4n5pxq24kpiob12og9"
uniqid('hello-', '-goodbye') -> "hello-4n5pxq24kpiob12og9-goodbye"

// usage with suffix only
uniqid('', '-goodbye') -> "4n5pxq24kpiob12og9-goodbye"
uniqid(undefined, '-goodbye') -> "4n5pxq24kpiob12og9-goodbye"

uniqid.process( prefix optional string , suffix optional string )

Generate 12 byte unique id's based on the time and the process id. Works on multiple processes within a single machine but not on multiple machines.

uniqid.process() -> "24ieiob0te82"

uniqid.time( prefix optional string , suffix optional string )

Generate 8 byte unique id's based on the current time only. Recommended only on a single process on a single machine.

uniqid.time() -> "iob0ucoj"

Webpack, Browserify, Vite

Since browsers don't provide a Process ID and in most cases neither give a Mac Address using uniqid from Webpack, Browserify and Vite falls back to uniqid.time() for all the other methods too. The browser is the single process, single machine case anyway.

Debug

Debug messages are turned off by default as of v4.1.0. To turn on debug messages you'll need to set uniqid_debug to true before you require the module.

// enable debug messages
module.uniqid_debug = true;

// require the module
var uniqid = require('uniqid');

License

(The MIT License)

Copyright (c) 2014-2021 Halász Ádám [e-mail]

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.