youid

youid is a lightweight JavaScript function that generates unique identifiers (UIDs) from strings. It can also generate random UIDs if no string input is provided. youid is flexible, allowing you to specify the length of the UID.

Installation

To install youid as an npm package:

npm install youid

Usage

youid provides a simple API to generate UIDs from strings or create random UIDs. The function takes two optional parameters:

• str (optional): The input string from which the UID will be generated.
• length (optional): The desired length of the UID.

Importing the Function

If using a module bundler:

import youid from 'youid';

Generating a UID

1. UID from a String

To generate a UID based on a string:

const uid = youid('HelloWorld');
console.log(uid); // Example output: "j1m3q4v9"

2. Specifying the Length

You can control the length of the generated UID:

const uid = youid('HelloWorld', 10);
console.log(uid); // Example output: "j1m3q4v900"

3. Generating a Random UID

If no string is provided, youid generates a random UID:

const randomUID = youid();
console.log(randomUID); // Example output: "x5y7z1w8a2"

Function Signature

const youid = (str?: string, length?: number) => string;

Parameters

1. str (optional): A string input to generate a hash-based UID.

   • If omitted, a random UID generator function is returned.

2. length (optional): The desired length of the UID.

   • Defaults to the full length of the generated hash or random string.

Return Value

• If str is provided: A string UID based on the input string.
• If str is omitted: A function that generates random UIDs, optionally constrained by length.

Examples

Basic Examples

Hash-Based UID:

const uid = youid('MyString');
console.log(uid); // Example output: "k9l2m5"

Length-Controlled UID:

const uid = youid('AnotherString', 12);
console.log(uid); // Example output: "k9l2m5n0pqr8"

Random UID:

const randomUID = youid(null, 8);
console.log(randomUID); // Example output: "abc123xy"

Real-World Usage

Generating IDs for HTML Elements:

const elementID = youid('button-submit', 10);
document.getElementById('my-element').id = elementID;
console.log(elementID); // Example output: "b8t9w7z6x1"

Random UIDs for Testing:

const randomIDGenerate = youid();
console.log(randomIDGenerate); // Example output: "a9b3c5d7"

How It Works

1. If a string is provided, the function computes a hash using bitwise operations and converts it to a base-36 representation.
2. If length is specified, the UID is padded or truncated to match the desired length.
3. If no string is provided, the function returns another function that generates random UIDs using Math.random().

License

youid is open-source software licensed under the MIT License.

Contributions

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request on GitHub.

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For any issues or inquiries, please contact the maintainer.