Quick Start - UUID Library v1.3.0

Get started with high-performance UUID generation in minutes. This guide covers the most common use cases with live examples.

Basic UUID Generation

The most common UUIDs you'll need:

use Webpatser\Uuid\Uuid;
 
// Random UUID (most common)
$uuid4 = Uuid::v4();
echo $uuid4;  // e.g., "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"
 
// Timestamp-based UUID (database optimized)
$uuid7 = Uuid::v7();
echo $uuid7;  // e.g., "018f4e7c-8b3a-7000-8000-123456789abc"

Working with UUIDs

Access different formats and validate UUIDs:

$uuid = Uuid::v4();
 
// Different formats
echo $uuid->string;      // "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"
echo $uuid->hex;         // "550e8400e29b41d4a716446655440000"
echo $uuid->bytes;       // Raw 16-byte binary data
 
// Validation
$isValid = Uuid::validate('550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000'); // true
$isValid = Uuid::validate('invalid-uuid');                         // false
 
// Import existing UUIDs
$imported = Uuid::import('550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000');

UUID Versions Explained

Name-Based UUIDs

Generate deterministic UUIDs from names:

// MD5-based (v3)
$uuid3 = Uuid::generate(3, 'example.com', Uuid::NS_DNS);
 
// SHA-1-based (v5) - recommended
$uuid5 = Uuid::generate(5, 'example.com', Uuid::NS_DNS);
 
// Same input = same UUID
$same = Uuid::generate(5, 'example.com', Uuid::NS_DNS);
// $uuid5 === $same (true)

Performance Tips

• Use v4 for general purpose: Maximum randomness, good performance
• Use v7 for databases: Natural sorting order improves indexing
• Batch operations: Generate multiple UUIDs in loops efficiently
• Cache when possible: Store UUIDs rather than regenerating

// Efficient batch generation
$uuids = [];
for ($i = 0; $i < 1000; $i++) {
    $uuids[] = Uuid::v7();  // Maintains chronological order
}
 
// Benchmark different versions
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < 10000; $i++) {
    Uuid::v4();
}
$time = (microtime(true) - $start) * 1000;
echo "Generated 10k v4 UUIDs in {$time}ms";

Next Steps