How can I generate a unique ID in Python? [duplicate]

Answer 1

Maybe the uuid module?

Answer 2

This will work very quickly but will not generate random values but monotonously increasing ones (for a given thread).

import threading

_uid = threading.local()
def genuid():
    if getattr(_uid, "uid", None) is None:
        _uid.tid = threading.current_thread().ident
        _uid.uid = 0
    _uid.uid += 1
    return (_uid.tid, _uid.uid)

It is thread safe and working with tuples may have benefit as opposed to strings (shorter if anything). If you do not need thread safety feel free remove the threading bits (in stead of threading.local, use object() and remove tid altogether).

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

You might want Python's UUID functions:

21.15. uuid — UUID objects according to RFC 4122

eg:

import uuid
print uuid.uuid4()

7d529dd4-548b-4258-aa8e-23e34dc8d43d

Answer 4

Maybe this work for u

str(uuid.uuid4().fields[-1])[:5]

Answer 5

Perhaps uuid.uuid4() might do the job. See uuid for more information.

Answer 6

import time
import random
import socket
import hashlib

def guid( *args ):
    """
    Generates a universally unique ID.
    Any arguments only create more randomness.
    """
    t = long( time.time() * 1000 )
    r = long( random.random()*100000000000000000L )
    try:
        a = socket.gethostbyname( socket.gethostname() )
    except:
        # if we can't get a network address, just imagine one
        a = random.random()*100000000000000000L
    data = str(t)+' '+str(r)+' '+str(a)+' '+str(args)
    data = hashlib.md5(data).hexdigest()

    return data