A GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is a 128-bit integer (16 bytes) used as a unique identifier across all computers and networks
. It is also known as a UUID (Universally Unique Identifier)
. GUIDs are used in various scenarios where a unique identifier is required, such as in distributed systems, databases, and web applications
. Some key aspects of GUIDs include:
- Unique : GUIDs are designed to be unique and have a very low probability of being duplicated, making them suitable for use as primary keys in databases or identifiers for various entities
- 128-bit structure : GUIDs are organized as a well-defined sequence of 32 hexadecimal digits grouped into chunks of 8-4-4-4-12, allowing for a maximum of 2^128 possible GUIDs
- Creation : GUIDs can be generated offline and do not require a connection to a central server or database
. In C#, you can use the Guid.NewGuid() method to create a new GUID
- Usage : GUIDs are commonly used in various programming languages and platforms, such as C#, .NET, and SQL Server, for creating unique identifiers in databases, synchronizing records between multiple databases, and exporting data for external manipulation and merge
When working with GUIDs in C#, you can use the Guid struct available as part
of the System namespace
. For example, you can create a new GUID using the following code:
csharp
Guid obj = Guid.NewGuid();
Console.WriteLine("New Guid is " + obj.ToString());
Keep in mind that GUIDs are larger than most normal basic data types like integers, so they may require additional storage space and processing resources
. However, their uniqueness and collision resistance make them suitable for specific use cases, such as primary keys in databases or identifiers for various entities
