How to Create a GUID/UUID in Java

Summary: Learn the steps and methods to create a GUID/UUID in Java for unique identification in your applications.
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How to Create a GUID/UUID in Java

In software development, ensuring unique identification for objects or data entries is a common requirement. This can be achieved using GUIDs (Globally Unique Identifiers) or UUIDs (Universally Unique Identifiers). In Java, generating these identifiers is straightforward, thanks to built-in classes and libraries.

What is a GUID/UUID?

Before diving into the code, let's clarify what a GUID/UUID is. A GUID/UUID is a 128-bit value used to uniquely identify information. Despite the different names, they serve essentially the same purpose. They are widely used in various applications to avoid conflicts and ensure each identifier is unique.

Generating a UUID in Java

Randomly Generated UUID

Name-based UUID using MD5 or SHA-1 hashing

Randomly Generated UUID

Random UUIDs are generated using the combined values of the current timestamp and a random number. This method is the most frequently used for creating UUIDs in Java.

Here’s a simple example to generate a random UUID:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

When you run the above code, it will generate a unique UUID each time.

Name-based UUID using MD5 Hashing (UUIDv3)

Although random UUIDs are handy, you might want to generate UUIDs based on a specified name using MD5 hashing. Here’s how you can create a name-based UUID:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Summary

By following the steps and examples provided above, you can seamlessly incorporate UUID generation into your Java applications, ensuring unique identification where needed.