UUID version 4
UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) version 4 is one of the variants of UUIDs, defined by RFC 4122. UUIDs are 128-bit identifiers that are used to uniquely identify information in computer systems. Version 4 UUIDs are randomly generated and are not tied to a specific identifier in the system, making them extremely unlikely to collide with other UUIDs.
Version 4 UUIDs are generated using random or pseudo-random numbers, which means they are highly likely to be unique. It is 128 bits long and is typically represented as a 36-character string of hexadecimal digits (32 digits separated by hyphens). UUID v4 typically looks like this: 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
While not impossible, the probability of two version 4 UUIDs colliding is extremely low, making them suitable for generating unique identifiers in a wide range of applications.
UUID version 4 is commonly used in various software and systems to generate unique identifiers, such as for session tokens, document identifiers, or database records. Its unpredictability and low collision probability make it a valuable tool in distributed systems and applications where uniqueness is critical.