Question 1

What is a UUID?

Accepted Answer

A UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) is a 128-bit number used to uniquely identify information in computer systems. The standard format is 8-4-4-4-12 hexadecimal digits separated by hyphens, e.g., 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000.

Question 2

What is UUID v4?

Accepted Answer

UUID version 4 generates identifiers using random numbers. It is the most commonly used UUID version because it requires no central coordination and provides excellent uniqueness. The probability of generating a duplicate is astronomically low.

Question 3

When should I use UUIDs?

Accepted Answer

UUIDs are ideal when you need unique identifiers across distributed systems without a central authority. Common use cases include database primary keys, session IDs, API resource identifiers, and file names.

Question 4

Are UUID v4 collisions possible?

Accepted Answer

Technically yes, but the probability is so low that for practical purposes they can be considered unique. The chance of a collision is approximately 1 in 2^122.

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