# ULID Creator A Java library for generating [ULIDs](https://github.com/ulid/spec) (Universally Unique Lexicographically Sortable Identifier). * Generated in lexicographical order; * Can be stored as a UUID/GUID; * Can be stored as a string of 26 chars; * Can be stored as an array of 16 bytes; * String format is encoded to [Crockford's base32](https://www.crockford.com/base32.html); * String format is URL safe and case insensitive. How to Use ------------------------------------------------------ Create a ULID: ```java Ulid ulid = UlidCreator.getUlid(); ``` Create a Monotonic ULID: ```java Ulid ulid = UlidCreator.getMonotonicUlid(); ``` ### Maven dependency Add these lines to your `pom.xml`. ```xml com.github.f4b6a3 ulid-creator 3.2.0 ``` See more options in [maven.org](https://search.maven.org/artifact/com.github.f4b6a3/ulid-creator). Module name: `com.github.f4b6a3.ulid`. ### ULID The ULID is a 128 bit long identifier. The first 48 bits represent the count of milliseconds since Unix Epoch, 1970-01-01. The remaining 80 bits are generated by a secure random number generator. ```java // Generate a ULID Ulid ulid = UlidCreator.getUlid(); ``` ```java // Generate a ULID with a specific time Ulid ulid = UlidCreator.getUlid(1234567890); ``` Sequence of ULIDs: ```text 01EX8Y21KBH49ZZCA7KSKH6X1C 01EX8Y21KBJTFK0JV5J20QPQNR 01EX8Y21KBG2CS1V6WQCTVM7K6 01EX8Y21KB8HPZNBP3PTW7HVEY 01EX8Y21KB3HZV38VAPTPAG1TY 01EX8Y21KB9FTEJHPAGAKYG9Z8 01EX8Y21KBQGKGH2SVPQAYEFFC 01EX8Y21KBY17J9WR9KQR8SE7H 01EX8Y21KCVHYSJGVK4HBXDMR9 < millisecond changed 01EX8Y21KC668W3PEDEAGDHMVG 01EX8Y21KC53D2S5ADQ2EST327 01EX8Y21KCPQ3TENMTY1S7HV56 01EX8Y21KC3755QF9STQEV05EB 01EX8Y21KC5ZSHK908GMDK69WE 01EX8Y21KCSGJS8S1FVS06B3SX 01EX8Y21KC6ZBWQ0JBV337R1CN ^ look |---------|--------------| time random ``` ### Monotonic ULID The Monotonic ULID is a 128 bit long identifier. The first 48 bits represent the count of milliseconds since Unix Epoch, 1970-01-01. The remaining 80 bits are generated by a secure random number generator. The random component is incremented by 1 whenever the current millisecond is equal to the previous one. But when the current millisecond is different, the random component changes to another random value. ```java // Generate a Monotonic ULID Ulid ulid = UlidCreator.getMonotonicUlid(); ``` ```java // Generate a Monotonic ULID with a specific time Ulid ulid = UlidCreator.getMonotonicUlid(1234567890); ``` Sequence of Monotonic ULIDs: ```text 01EX8Y7M8MDVX3M3EQG69EEMJW 01EX8Y7M8MDVX3M3EQG69EEMJX 01EX8Y7M8MDVX3M3EQG69EEMJY 01EX8Y7M8MDVX3M3EQG69EEMJZ 01EX8Y7M8MDVX3M3EQG69EEMK0 01EX8Y7M8MDVX3M3EQG69EEMK1 01EX8Y7M8MDVX3M3EQG69EEMK2 01EX8Y7M8MDVX3M3EQG69EEMK3 01EX8Y7M8N1G30CYF2PJR23J2J < millisecond changed 01EX8Y7M8N1G30CYF2PJR23J2K 01EX8Y7M8N1G30CYF2PJR23J2M 01EX8Y7M8N1G30CYF2PJR23J2N 01EX8Y7M8N1G30CYF2PJR23J2P 01EX8Y7M8N1G30CYF2PJR23J2Q 01EX8Y7M8N1G30CYF2PJR23J2R 01EX8Y7M8N1G30CYF2PJR23J2S ^ look ^ look |---------|--------------| time random ``` ### Other usage examples Create a ULID from a canonical string (26 chars): ```java Ulid ulid = Ulid.from("0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRS"); ``` Convert a ULID into a canonical string in upper case: ```java String string = ulid.toUpperCase(); // 0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRS ``` Convert a ULID into a canonical string in lower case: ```java String string = ulid.toLowerCase(); // 0123456789abcdefghjkmnpqrs ``` Convert a ULID into a UUID: ```java UUID uuid = ulid.toUuid(); // 0110c853-1d09-52d8-d73e-1194e95b5f19 ``` Convert a ULID into a [RFC-4122](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4122) UUID v4: ```java UUID uuid = ulid.toRfc4122().toUuid(); // 0110c853-1d09-42d8-973e-1194e95b5f19 // ^ UUID v4 ``` Convert a ULID into a byte array: ```java byte[] bytes = ulid.toBytes(); // 16 bytes (128 bits) ``` Get the creation instant of a ULID: ```java Instant instant = ulid.getInstant(); // 2007-02-16T02:13:14.633Z ``` ```java // static method Instant instant = Ulid.getInstant("0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRS"); // 2007-02-16T02:13:14.633Z ``` Get the time component of a ULID: ```java long time = ulid.getTime(); // 1171591994633 ``` ```java // static method long time = Ulid.getTime("0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRS"); // 1171591994633 ``` Get the random component of a ULID: ```java byte[] random = ulid.getRandom(); // 10 bytes (80 bits) ``` ```java // static method byte[] random = Ulid.getRandom("0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRS"); // 10 bytes (80 bits) ``` Use a `UlidFactory` with `java.util.Random`: ```java // use a `Random` instance UlidFactory factory = new DefaultFactory(new Random()); Ulid ulid = factory.create(); ``` Use a `UlidFactory` with a random generator of your choice: ```java // use a method of any RNG with this signature: `void nextBytes(byte[])` import com.github.niceguy.random.AwesomeRandom; // a hypothetical RNG UlidFactory factory = new DefaultFactory(new AwesomeRandom()::nextBytes); Ulid ulid = factory.create(); ``` (*) as long as it provides a void method like `nextBytes(byte[])`. Benchmark ------------------------------------------------------ This section shows benchmarks comparing `UlidCreator` to `java.util.UUID`. ``` -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THROUGHPUT (operations/msec) Mode Cnt Score Error Units -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UUID_randomUUID thrpt 5 2051,918 ± 24,797 ops/ms UUID_randomUUID_toString thrpt 5 1176,382 ± 32,709 ops/ms UlidCreator_getUlid thrpt 5 2738,998 ± 51,092 ops/ms UlidCreator_getUlid_toString thrpt 5 2548,178 ± 25,484 ops/ms UlidCreator_getMonotonicUlid thrpt 5 19807,920 ± 410,996 ops/ms UlidCreator_getMonotonicUlid_toString thrpt 5 13178,389 ± 147,323 ops/ms -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total time: 00:08:01 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ``` System: JVM 8, Ubuntu 20.04, CPU i5-3330, 8G RAM. To execute the benchmark, run `./benchmark/run.sh`. Other identifier generators ------------------------------------------- * [UUID Creator](https://github.com/f4b6a3/uuid-creator) * [TSID Creator](https://github.com/f4b6a3/tsid-creator) * [KSUID Creator](https://github.com/f4b6a3/ksuid-creator)