short-uuid

Generate and translate standard UUIDs into shorter - or just different - formats and back.

Quick Start

const short = require('short-uuid');

// Generate a short, Base58-encoded UUID immediately:
short.generate(); // 73WakrfVbNJBaAmhQtEeDv

// Or create a translator and generate using its method:
const translator = short.createTranslator(); // Default is flickrBase58
translator.generate(); // mhvXdrZT4jP5T8vBxuvm75

v6.0.0

• Uses crypto.randomUUID by default.
• Accepts alternative UUID generators such as uuidv7
• Converted to TypeScript

Major Changes in v6.0.0

• 🛑 Removes the uuid library as a dependency.
• 🛑 Removes the new method in favor of existing generate.
• 🛑 Removes the uuid method on the default export (previously imported from uuid/v4).
• 🛑 Removes createTranslator as default export.
• 🛑 The default generate method assumes crypto.randomUUID is available and may error prior to Node 18.
• ⚠️ Node 18 and lower may require passing a uuid generator to the translator.

Usage Details

short-uuid starts with RFC4122 v4-compliant UUIDs and translates them into other, usually shorter formats. It also provides translators to convert back and forth from RFC-compliant UUIDs to the shorter formats, and validate the IDs.

By default, shortened values are padded for consistent length. This can be disabled.

As of 6.0.0, short-uuid uses the native crypto.randomUUID method to generate UUIDs. It can also accept alternative UUID generators, such as uuidv7. Node 14.17.0 and later support crypto.randomUUID, but may require passing the UUID generator to the translator.

Creating Translators

// Calling with require does not expose the default export
const short = require('short-uuid');
const uuidv7 = require('uuidv7');

// Use the default 'flickrBase58' alphabet
const defaultTranslator = short();

// Provide a custom alphabet (string with unique characters)
const decimalTranslator = short('0123456789');

// Use built-in constants for common alphabets
const cookieTranslator = short(short.constants.cookieBase90);

// Use an alternative UUID generator
const v7translator = short('0123456789', { uuid: uuidv7 });

Encoding and Decoding

// Create a translator
const translator = short();

// Generate a short-encoded UUID
const shortId = translator.generate(); // mhvXdrZT4jP5T8vBxuvm75

// Convert from short-encoded to standard UUID
const fullUUID = translator.toUUID(shortId); // a44521d0-0fb8-4ade-8002-3385545c3318

// Convert from standard UUID to short-encoded format
const shortAgain = translator.fromUUID(fullUUID); // mhvXdrZT4jP5T8vBxuvm75

Validation

// Check if a string has the correct length and alphabet
translator.validate(shortId); // true or false

// Check if it also translates to a valid RFC4122 UUID
translator.validate(shortId, true);  // true if valid
translator.validate('0000000000000000000000', true); // false

Plain UUIDs

// Generate a plain RFC4122 v4 UUID without creating a translator
const uuid = short.uuid(); // fd5c084c-ff7c-4651-9a52-37096242d81c

// Each translator also exposes the uuid function they use to generate UUIDs
const uuidFromTranslator = defaultTranslator.uuid();

Options

The createTranslator method supports several arguments:

short.createTranslator(alphabet);
short.createTranslator(alphabet, options);
short.createTranslator(options);

• alphabet - The alphabet to use for translation. Defaults to short.constants.flickrBase58.
• consistentLength - Controls padding on shortened values. Default is true.
• uuid - A function that generates a UUID. Defaults to crypto.randomUUID.

const short = require('short-uuid');

// By default shortened values are now padded for consistent length.
// If you want to produce variable lengths, like in 3.1.1
const translator = short.createTranslator(short.constants.flickrBase58, {
  consistentLength: false,
});

// Generate a shortened v4 UUID
translator.generate(); // mhvXdrZT4jP5T8vBxuvm75

Support

short-uuid 6.x and later is tested on Node 14.17.x and later.

Notes

TypeScript definitions are included, thanks to alexturek.

Please see Releases for information on previous versions.