How to use the command genid (with examples)

The genid command is a versatile tool for generating various types of IDs such as snowflakes, UUIDs, and GAIDs (Generic Anonymous IDs). It provides a simple way to generate unique identifiers for different use cases.

Use case 1: Generate a UUIDv4

Code:

genid uuid

Motivation: Generating UUIDv4 (Universally Unique Identifier) is often required in applications that need to generate a unique identifier. This can be useful in database records, distributed systems, or anything that requires a unique identifier. UUIDv4 is randomly generated and provides a high probability of uniqueness.

Explanation: The genid uuid command generates a UUIDv4.

Example output:

f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479

Use case 2: Generate a UUIDv5 using a namespace UUID and a specific name

Code:

genid uuidv5 {ce598faa-8dd0-49ee-8525-9e24fff71dca} name

Motivation: UUIDv5 is generated using a namespace UUID and a specific name, which provides a way to generate a consistent UUID based on a given name and namespace. This can be useful in scenarios where unique identifiers need to be generated based on specific inputs.

Explanation: The genid uuidv5 command is followed by a namespace UUID and a specific name. The namespace UUID is enclosed in curly braces {}. The generated UUIDv5 is based on the combination of the namespace UUID and the name.

Example output:

c3e32e9e-5d28-5416-aaf0-559a16e32767

Use case 3: Generate a Discord Snowflake, without a trailing newline (useful in shell scripts)

Code:

genid --script snowflake

Motivation: Generating a Discord Snowflake without a trailing newline is useful when incorporating the generated snowflake in shell scripts where a trailing newline can cause issues or interfere with further operations.

Explanation: The genid --script snowflake command generates a Discord Snowflake without a trailing newline. The --script option ensures that the output doesn’t include a newline character.

Example output:

722973948509769472

Use case 4: Generate a Generic Anonymous ID with a specific “real ID”

Code:

genid gaid real_id

Motivation: A Generic Anonymous ID (GAID) is often used to anonymize real IDs while still maintaining a relationship between the two. This can be useful in scenarios where data privacy is important, and the association between real IDs and GAIDs needs to be maintained.

Explanation: The genid gaid command is followed by a specific “real ID”. The generated GAID is based on the provided “real ID”.

Example output:

gaid:5f536583f44873.9025036136

Use case 5: Generate a Snowflake with the epoch set to a specific date

Code:

genid snowflake --epoch=unix_epoch_time

Motivation: Snowflakes are unique IDs used in distributed systems, and they include a timestamp component. Generating a Snowflake with the epoch set at a specific date can be useful in scenarios where the epoch needs to be aligned with a specific point in time.

Explanation: The genid snowflake --epoch=unix_epoch_time command generates a Snowflake with the epoch set to a specific date. The --epoch option is used to specify the desired epoch time. The unix_epoch_time should be replaced with the actual Unix epoch time value.

Example output:

1189782632937733632

Conclusion:

The genid command provides a convenient way to generate various types of IDs such as UUIDv4, UUIDv5, Discord Snowflake, GAID, and Snowflake with a specific epoch. By understanding and utilizing the different use cases, developers can generate unique identifiers for their specific requirements.