The UUID & ULID Generator Tool
- UUIDs and ULIDs: An Introduction
- Installing and using Unique
- How to compile and build the installer
- Contributing to this Project
- Security Policy for this Project
- Thanks & Useful Links
May 2016: I needed a random number generator and learned about UUIDs. This tool started as a way to automatically generate 20 v4 UUIDs (the only one not static or engineered to a set of hardware) and has since turned into a sandbox/demonstration project. Inside this repository you'll find a number of different technologies and concepts; from oid's and dns validation using Regular Expressions in the source code, up to venv and makensis to build and package the end solution. Hopefully this project serves as a good jumping-off point for someone wanting to learn git or python.
As for that end-solution? This tools ships as both a graphical (notepad-like) application you can click through, as well as a lightning-fast utility leveraging syntax and principals from my favourite Unix software. This code is tested on Windows, Mac OS and Ubuntu and can also be run via Docker.
What is a UUID? (from Wikipedia)
A Universally Unique IDentifier (UUID) is a 128-bit number used to identify information in computer systems. UUIDs are, for practical purposes, unique. Their uniqueness does not depend on a central registration authority or coordination between the parties generating them. Anyone can create a UUID and use it to identify something with near certainty that the identifier does not duplicate one that has already been, or will be, created to identify something else.
Unique Lexicographically Sortable Identifiers (ULIDs) are; like UUIDs, 128-bit random numbers used to to universally identify data items. With the added benefits of being shorter (26 character Base32-encoded string), sortable (lexicographically and monotonic) and case insensitive.
Features
- Generate UUID Versions 1, 3, 4, 5 and the "Special Nil Case"/0 (GUI 0/1/4 Only)
- Support for DNS (FQDN), URL, OID and X.500 Namespaces (
--ns) - Prefix UUID with URN (RFC 4122) (
-u) - Command line Unix-Like tool and Graphical User Interface
- Non-Standard: Output UUID as Uppercase (
-U) - Shorten UUIDs using Base64 Encoding (
-s) - Use colourful syntax highlighting to understand UUIDs (
-c) - Decode UUID with pretty-print or version/type information
- Generation of Unique Lexicographically Sortable Identifiers / ULIDs
- Platform Agnostic: Python, Docker & Windows
Using NSIS, the simple graphical installer enables users to install the graphical tool and add start menu/desktop shotcuts (for Windows only).
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Using the tkinter library, a gui is available to generate UUIDs for those not comfortable with the command line. Simply click on your desktop link (windows) or open/execute python3 src/unique_gui.py (linux) to be presented with the graphical interface.
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The following Menu options are available:
- File
- New: Clear-down the UUIDs in the current tool, ready for new generation (CTRL + N)
- Open: Open a text (
.txt/.uuid) file, useful for appending UUIDs (CTRL + O) - Save: Save the current UUIDs to a text (
.txt/.uuid) file (CTRL + S) - Save As..: Save the current UUIDs to a new text (
.txt/.uuid) file - Quit (ALT + F4)
- Generate
- Version 1 UUID: Generate a Version 1 (Datetime & MAC Address) UUID (CTRL + 1)
- Version 1 UUID: Generate a Version 3 (Datetime & MAC Address) UUID (CTRL + 3)
- Version 4 UUID: Generate a Version 4 UUID (based on RNG) (CTRL + 4)
- Version 1 UUID: Generate a Version 5 (Datetime & MAC Address) UUID (CTRL + 5)
- Special Nil UUID: Generate a Nil UUID (0's) (CTRL + 0)
- A ULID: Generate a ULID (CTRL + L)
- Tools
- Options: Open the Options popup (F9)
- Help
- About: Opens a popup window with author/version information (F1)
# UUIDv4
unique.exe
'27fd1448-3c0d-4d73-94c4-9f16dd9e0c16'
# 3 x UUIDv4
unique.exe -q 3
'32ec9ca1-2a84-40c9-afa4-f67a7a8c3156'
'039ee9f1-c5a0-4d85-805a-89b84974a6c7'
'b6a4587d-a3de-4e4c-8d84-a3fad6b14192'
# 2 x UUIDv1 with URN prefix
unique.exe -v 1 -q 2 -u
'urn:uuid:7ed04b31-f14c-11ea-ac52-e4b31802edf0'
'urn:uuid:7ed0c3d9-f14c-11ea-aabd-e4b31802edf0'
# 1x Special Nil UUID
unique.exe -q 1 -v 0
'00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000'
# UUIDv5 for "python.org" Fully qualified domain name
unique.exe -v 5 --ns dns -n "python.org"
'886313e1-3b8a-5372-9b90-0c9aee199e5d'
# Uppercase UUIDv3 for "http://adambonner.co.uk" URL
unique.exe -U -v 3 -n "http://adambonner.co.uk" --ns url
'1FDC56DF-BB86-3F0D-9356-8612ABA227FF'# UUIDv4
python3 unique.py
'31c2c13c-60c9-4883-8f12-16ede5022da4'
# 3x UUIDv1 encoded as Base64
python3 unique.py -v 1 -q 3 --short
'EHuMMPxlEeqNuc2jzUq+xw=='
'EHuMMfxlEeqNuc2jzUq+xw=='
'EHuMMvxlEeqNuc2jzUq+xw=='usage: unique.py [-h] [-v <VERSION>] [-q <QUANTITY>] [--ns <NAMESPACE>] [-n <NAME>] [-c] [-u | -U | -s] {decode,ulid} ...
Generate or Decode a Universally Unique ID
positional arguments:
{decode,ulid} DECODE UUID or GENERATE a ULID
options:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-v <VERSION>, --version <VERSION>
Specify output UUID version (0, 1, 3, 4, or 5)
-q <QUANTITY>, --quantity <QUANTITY>
Specify output quantity (1 - 65536)
--ns <NAMESPACE>, --namespace <NAMESPACE>
UUID v3 or v5 namespace
-n <NAME>, --name <NAME>
Specify UUID v3 or v5 name
-c, --colour Enable colour syntax highlighting
-u, --urn Specify URN standard prefix
-U, --uppercase Non-standard uppercase UUID string
-s, --short Shortened UUID using Base64 Encoding
# Decode and Pretty-Print Base64 Encoded UUID
unique.exe decode EaLLP0e7R9akp4EC/wyw4w==
'11a2cb3f-47bb-47d6-a4a7-8102ff0cb0e3'
# Decode Base64 Encoded UUID with verbose information
unique.exe decode -i famfC///EeqRY6RMyKyUKg==
'Input String: famfC///EeqRY6RMyKyUKg=='
'Input Type: Base64'
'UUID: 7da99f0b-ffff-11ea-9163-a44cc8ac942a'
'Version: 1'
'Description: Time and Node Based UUID'
'Namespace: None'
'Name: None'
'Date & Time: 2020-09-26 13:52:17.823309'
'MAC Address: a4-4c-c8-ac-94-2a'
'Base64: famfC///EeqRY6RMyKyUKg=='
'URN Prefix: urn:uuid:7da99f0b-ffff-11ea-9163-a44cc8ac942a'
'Hexadecimal: 7da99f0bffff11ea9163a44cc8ac942a'
'Integer: 167034223496070676450392100360877282346'
'Uppercase: 7DA99F0B-FFFF-11EA-9163-A44CC8AC942A'usage: unique.py ulid [-h] [-q <QUANTITY>]
options:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-q <QUANTITY>, --quantity <QUANTITY>
Specify output quantity (1 - 65536)
# Generate 5xULIDs
unique.exe ulid -q 5
'01EK645S91Q27M3343C2607VWY'
'01EK645S92V05X50AGX4BB337R'
'01EK645S93CTX4SE9TQJ03DQKA'
'01EK645S936YJ7CPR6ME36G44B'
'01EK645S9GM5RDNAT1YG6Z8AJV'usage: unique.py decode [-h] [-i] UUID
positional arguments:
UUID A valid (Hex|Base64|Uppercase|Prefixed) UUID string
options:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-i, --information Provide detailed information about decoded UUID
Note: The Docker (CLI-only) version of this project is inherently platform independent. This readme doesn't discuss that technology. Get started here.
The project's Dockerfile can be utilised to create a platform independent container image; supporting the generation of UUIDs in cloud (e.g. Kubernetes/OpenShift) environments. Getting unique to work with docker requires two steps, first create the docker image, then run it in the docker service
#Use Docker to Build Image, you may need elevated privilages/"root"
docker build . -t unique# UUIDv4
docker run --rm -it unique:latest
'513717ae-eb2e-4a06-9d5b-acaa77f7a6d7'
# 5 x UUIDv4
docker run --rm -it unique:latest -q 5
'32ec9ca1-2a84-40c9-afa4-f67a7a8c3156'
'039ee9f1-c5a0-4d85-805a-89b84974a6c7'
'b6a4587d-a3de-4e4c-8d84-a3fad6b14192'
'91bd7bf0-8b6e-46af-ad01-7f91ca66aa25'
'4085c90e-b195-40fb-b31e-e5faf76eb34a'
# Display Help
docker run --rm -it unique:latest --help
Virtual Environment Setup using your favourite terminal, from the project root directory:
# "create a virtual environment named venv"
py -m venv venv
# "activate the virtual environment"
'.\venv\Scripts\activate.ps1'
# "pip upgrade pip and setuptools"
py -m pip install --upgrade pip
py -m pip install --upgrade setuptools
# "install this project's dependencies"
py -m pip install -r '.\requirements.txt'Compile the .exe files using PyInstaller, and package them up with NSIS using your favourite terminal, from the project root directory:
# compile manually
pyinstaller 'src/unique.spec' --noconfirm
# package with nsis manually
makensis 'installer/unique.nsi'
# run both automatically
py 'tools/make.py'using your favourite terminal, from the project root directory:
# "install this project's dependencies"
py -m pip install pyinstaller
# check prerequisites
py -m pip list --local
# record deps
pip freeze > 'requirements.txt'
# exit venv
deactivateThis project welcomes contributions of all types. We ask that before you start work on a feature that you would like to contribute, please read the Contributor's Guide.
This project seeks to build secure, versatile and robust portable software. If you find an issue, please report it following the Security Policy
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