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New UUID Formats (ietf.org)

494 points by swyx · 1553 days ago · 164 comments on HN

Article summary

The article discusses new UUID formats, including UUIDv7, which has garnered interest for its potential to replace existing universally unique identifier systems. UUIDv7 is designed to be lexicographically sortable and has properties that make it suitable for various use cases. The article also mentions other projects that have attempted to address issues with UUIDs. The discussion around the article reveals a focus on the technical details and potential applications of UUIDv7.

Main themes

  • UUID formats
  • endianness
  • interoperability
  • lexicographically sortable identifiers
  • universally unique identifiers
  • technical specifications

What commenters say

  • UUIDv7 is a promising alternative to existing UUID systems, offering lexicographically sortable properties.
  • The use of little endian versus big endian byte order is a point of contention, with some arguing for efficiency and others for consistency with existing protocols.
  • The mixed-endian nature of UUIDs has caused problems in the past and should be avoided in new systems.
  • UUIDv7 may offer a more rigid specification for interoperability compared to other universally unique identifier systems like ULID.
  • The endianness of UUIDs is not a significant concern for most applications, and little endian has become the de facto standard.
  • The variant field in UUIDs can be used to determine the endianness, but it may not always be reliable.
  • The design of UUIDv7 is an improvement over previous systems, but it may not be perfect and could be further refined.