uuidv7 vs uuid vs uuidv4
UUID Generation Libraries
uuidv7uuiduuidv4Similar Packages:

UUID Generation Libraries

UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) generation libraries are essential tools in web development for creating unique identifiers that can be used across different systems and databases. These libraries provide various methods for generating UUIDs, ensuring that they are unique and can be used in distributed systems without collision. Each library has its own approach to UUID generation, catering to different use cases and requirements, such as versioning, performance, and ease of use.

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Feature Comparison: uuidv7 vs uuid vs uuidv4

UUID Versions

  • uuidv7:

    The 'uuidv7' package introduces a new version of UUIDs that combines a timestamp with random bits, allowing for both uniqueness and chronological ordering. This is particularly useful in databases where sorting by creation time is necessary.

  • uuid:

    The 'uuid' package supports multiple UUID versions, including 1 (time-based), 3 (namespace-based), 4 (random), and 5 (namespace-based). This versatility allows developers to choose the appropriate UUID version based on their specific needs, such as uniqueness guarantees and sorting requirements.

  • uuidv4:

    The 'uuidv4' package focuses exclusively on generating version 4 UUIDs, which are completely random and do not contain any timestamp or identifiable information. This makes them suitable for scenarios where anonymity and randomness are critical.

Performance

  • uuidv7:

    The 'uuidv7' package is also optimized for performance, but it may involve slightly more computation due to the timestamp component. However, it provides a good balance between performance and the need for sortable UUIDs.

  • uuid:

    While the 'uuid' package is versatile, it may have a slight overhead due to its support for multiple UUID versions. However, it is still optimized for performance and is widely used in production environments.

  • uuidv4:

    The 'uuidv4' package is designed for high performance, generating UUIDs quickly with minimal overhead. This makes it an excellent choice for applications that require a large number of UUIDs in a short time.

Ease of Use

  • uuidv7:

    The 'uuidv7' package provides a user-friendly API for generating version 7 UUIDs, but it may require a bit more understanding of its timestamp-based nature. The documentation is clear, but users should be aware of the implications of using sortable UUIDs.

  • uuid:

    The 'uuid' package offers a straightforward API for generating various UUID types, making it easy for developers to integrate into their applications. The documentation is comprehensive, providing clear examples for each UUID version.

  • uuidv4:

    The 'uuidv4' package has a simple interface focused solely on generating version 4 UUIDs, making it extremely easy to use. Developers can quickly implement it without needing to understand the complexities of other UUID versions.

Community Support

  • uuidv7:

    The 'uuidv7' package is newer and may not have as extensive community support as the other two. However, it is gaining traction due to its innovative approach to UUID generation, and its documentation is improving as it evolves.

  • uuid:

    The 'uuid' package has strong community support and is widely adopted in various projects, ensuring that developers can find help and resources easily. It is actively maintained and updated to keep up with best practices.

  • uuidv4:

    The 'uuidv4' package is also popular and has a good level of community support, although it is more niche compared to the 'uuid' package. It is well-maintained and provides reliable UUID generation for specific use cases.

Use Cases

  • uuidv7:

    The 'uuidv7' package is particularly useful for applications that require both uniqueness and the ability to sort UUIDs by creation time, such as logging systems or event tracking.

  • uuid:

    The 'uuid' package is suitable for a wide range of applications, from database keys to session identifiers, where different UUID versions may be required based on the context.

  • uuidv4:

    The 'uuidv4' package is ideal for scenarios where random UUIDs are needed, such as generating unique identifiers for user sessions, API keys, or temporary resources.

How to Choose: uuidv7 vs uuid vs uuidv4

  • uuidv7:

    Choose 'uuidv7' if you are looking for a modern UUID generation approach that combines timestamp-based and random elements. This package is particularly useful for applications that need sortable UUIDs, as it provides a way to generate UUIDs that can be ordered by creation time.

  • uuid:

    Choose 'uuid' if you need a comprehensive library that supports multiple UUID versions (1, 3, 4, 5) and offers a variety of generation methods. This package is suitable for applications requiring flexibility in UUID types and strong community support.

  • uuidv4:

    Choose 'uuidv4' if your primary requirement is to generate random UUIDs (version 4) quickly and efficiently. This package is lightweight and optimized for performance, making it ideal for scenarios where you only need random UUIDs without additional features.

README for uuidv7

uuidv7: A JavaScript implementation of UUID version 7

npm License

import { uuidv7 } from "uuidv7";

const result = uuidv7(); // e.g., "017fe537-bb13-7c35-b52a-cb5490cce7be"

On browsers and Deno:

import { uuidv7 } from "https://unpkg.com/uuidv7@^1";

const result = uuidv7(); // e.g., "017fe537-bb13-7c35-b52a-cb5490cce7be"

Command-line interface:

$ npx uuidv7
0189f7e5-c883-7106-8272-ccb7fcba0575
$
$ npx uuidv7 -n 4
0189f7ea-ae2c-7809-8aeb-b819cf5e9e7f
0189f7ea-ae2f-72b9-9be8-9c3c5a60214f
0189f7ea-ae2f-72b9-9be8-9c3d224082ef
0189f7ea-ae2f-72b9-9be8-9c3e3e8abae8

See RFC 9562.

Field and bit layout

This implementation produces identifiers with the following bit layout:

 0                   1                   2                   3
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|                          unix_ts_ms                           |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|          unix_ts_ms           |  ver  |        counter        |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|var|                        counter                            |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|                             rand                              |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Where:

  • The 48-bit unix_ts_ms field is dedicated to the Unix timestamp in milliseconds.
  • The 4-bit ver field is set at 0111.
  • The 42-bit counter field accommodates a counter that ensures the increasing order of IDs generated within a millisecond. The counter is incremented by one for each new ID and is reset to a random number when the unix_ts_ms changes.
  • The 2-bit var field is set at 10.
  • The remaining 32 rand bits are filled with a cryptographically strong random number.

The 42-bit counter is sufficiently large, so you do not usually need to worry about overflow, but in an extremely rare circumstance where it overflows, this library increments the unix_ts_ms field to continue instant monotonic generation. As a result, the unix_ts_ms may have a greater value than that of the system's real-time clock. (See also Why so large counter? (42bits)).

UUIDv7, by design, relies on the system clock to guarantee the monotonically increasing order of generated IDs. A generator may not be able to produce a monotonic sequence if the system clock goes backwards. This library ignores a clock rollback and reuses the previous unix_ts_ms unless the clock rollback is considered significant (by default, more than ten seconds). If such a significant rollback takes place, this library resets the generator by default and thus breaks the increasing order of generated IDs.

Other features

This library also supports the generation of UUID version 4:

import { uuidv4 } from "uuidv7";

const result = uuidv4(); // e.g., "83229083-75c3-4da5-8378-f88ef1a2bcd1"

uuidv7obj() and uuidv4obj() return an object that represents a UUID as a 16-byte byte array:

import { uuidv7obj } from "uuidv7";

const object = uuidv7obj();
console.log(object.bytes); // Uint8Array(16) [ ... ]
console.log(String(object)); // e.g., "017fea6b-b877-7aef-b422-57db9ed15e9d"

console.assert(object.getVariant() === "VAR_10");
console.assert(object.getVersion() === 7);

console.assert(object.clone().equals(object));
console.assert(object.compareTo(uuidv7obj()) < 0);

The V7Generator primitive allows to utilize a separate counter state from that of the global generator. It also provides a fallible variant of the generator function to give an absolute guarantee of the increasing order of UUIDs despite a significant rollback of the system timestamp source.

import { V7Generator } from "uuidv7";

const g = new V7Generator();
const x = g.generate();
const y = g.generateOrAbort();
if (y === undefined) {
  throw new Error("The clock went backwards by ten seconds!");
}
console.assert(x.compareTo(y) < 0);

See the API documentation for details.

CommonJS support

The CommonJS entry point is deprecated and provided for backward compatibility purposes only. The entry point is no longer tested and will be removed in the future.

License

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.

Related project

Uuid25 provides the conversion to/from a condensed, sortable, case-insensitive, 25-digit Base36 representation of UUID as well as other well-known textual representations. Uuid25 is available in several languages including Go, JavaScript, Python, Rust, and Swift.

import { uuidv7obj } from "uuidv7";
import { Uuid25 } from "uuid25";

const uuid25 = Uuid25.fromBytes(uuidv7obj().bytes);

console.log(uuid25.value);
// e.g., "03a2s63x4x0b9mev9e88i7gpm"

console.log(uuid25.toHex());
// e.g., "0189f8068f1a79b6bb21123c6accc25a"
console.log(uuid25.toHyphenated());
// e.g., "0189f806-8f1a-79b6-bb21-123c6accc25a"
console.log(uuid25.toBraced());
// e.g., "{0189f806-8f1a-79b6-bb21-123c6accc25a}"
console.log(uuid25.toUrn());
// e.g., "urn:uuid:0189f806-8f1a-79b6-bb21-123c6accc25a"