Unique, unpredictable, 12 digit, integer id

Question

How would I go about generating this... I want to keep my primary key sequential and have a 12 digit unique pin generated for each new object added to the database.

Answer 1

One method would be to take your primary key value, salt it with a few other random-ish bits of data (username, current time, process ID, fixed string, etc...) and hash it with md5 or sha1. You then take the hash string and convert it into digits via basic string operations. That'll give you a relatively unique numeric code.

of course, with only 12 digits, you're far more likely to end up with a collision than by using the raw string hash - but since you're requiring this to be dialed on a keypad, it's an acceptable tradeoff.

If the pins are invalidated/deleted after usage, then the collision chances will be much reduced.