Nano ID Generator: Create Secure and URL-Friendly Unique Identifiers

What is a Nano ID Generator?

A Nano ID Generator is a powerful tool that creates tiny, secure, URL-friendly unique string identifiers for modern web applications. Unlike traditional UUID generators, our Nano ID Generator produces compact, collision-resistant identifiers perfect for distributed systems, database records, and web applications requiring short, secure IDs.

Why Choose a Nano ID Generator?

Nano ID Generators offer superior advantages over standard UUID solutions:

• Compact Size: 21 characters vs UUID's 36 characters
• URL-Safe: Uses web-friendly characters (A-Za-z0-9_-)
• Cryptographically Secure: Built with secure random number generation
• Customizable: Adjustable length and character sets
• High Performance: Generates millions of IDs per second

How Our Nano ID Generator Works

Nano IDs are generated using a cryptographically strong random number generator and a customizable alphabet. The default implementation uses:

• A 64-character alphabet (A-Za-z0-9_-) which is URL-friendly
• 21 characters in length

This combination provides a good balance between ID length and collision probability.

The formula for generating a Nano ID is:

1id = random(alphabet, size)
2

Where random is a function that selects size number of characters from the alphabet with a cryptographically secure random number generator.

Nano ID Structure and Composition

Nano ID Generator Customization Options

1. Length: You can adjust the length of the generated Nano ID. The default is 21 characters, but it can be increased for higher uniqueness or decreased for shorter IDs.

2. Alphabet: The character set used to generate the ID can be customized. Options include:

   • Alphanumeric (default): A-Za-z0-9_-
   • Numeric: 0-9
   • Alphabetic: A-Za-z
   • Custom: Any set of characters you define

Nano ID Security and Collision Probability

Nano IDs are designed to be:

• Unpredictable: They use a cryptographically strong random generator.
• Unique: The probability of collisions is extremely low with proper length.

Collision probability depends on the ID length and the number of IDs generated. The probability of a collision can be calculated using the formula:

1P(collision) = 1 - e^(-k^2 / (2n))
2

Where:

• k is the number of IDs generated
• n is the number of possible IDs (alphabet length ^ Nano ID length)

For example, with the default settings (64 character alphabet, 21 character length), you need to generate ~1.36e36 IDs to have a 1% probability of at least one collision. To put this in perspective:

• Generating 1 million IDs per second, it would take ~433 years to have a 1% chance of collision.
• You're more likely to win the lottery multiple times than encounter a Nano ID collision in most practical applications.

Nano ID Generator Use Cases and Applications

Nano IDs are suitable for many applications, including:

1. Database record IDs
2. URL shorteners
3. Session IDs in web applications
4. Temporary file names
5. Distributed systems where coordination is difficult

Comparison with Other ID Methods

History and Development

Nano ID was created by Andrey Sitnik in 2017 as a more compact alternative to UUID. It was designed to be easy to use in various programming languages and environments, with a focus on web applications.

Code Examples

Here are examples of generating Nano IDs in different programming languages:

1// JavaScript
2import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
3const id = nanoid(); // => "V1StGXR8_Z5jdHi6B-myT"
4

1## Python
2import nanoid
3id = nanoid.generate() # => "kqTSU2WGQPJzuWxfifTRX"
4

1## Ruby
2require 'nanoid'
3id = Nanoid.generate # => "7nj0iuNXoE0GnQNuH3b7v"
4

1// Java
2import com.aventrix.jnanoid.jnanoid.NanoIdUtils;
3String id = NanoIdUtils.randomNanoId(); // => "ku-gFr4Zx9QpfvLtO_8LH"
4

1// C#
2using Nanoid;
3var id = Nanoid.Generate(); // => "xGx2iKPNOEpGQBgJKU-Ow"
4

1// PHP
2<?php
3use Hidehalo\Nanoid\Client;
4$client = new Client();
5$id = $client->generateId(); // => "V1StGXR8_Z5jdHi6B-myT"
6?>
7

1// Rust
2use nanoid::nanoid;
3let id = nanoid!(); // => "V1StGXR8_Z5jdHi6B-myT"
4

1// Go
2import "github.com/matoous/go-nanoid/v2"
3id, err := gonanoid.New() // => "V1StGXR8_Z5jdHi6B-myT"
4

1// Swift
2import NanoID
3let id = NanoID.new() // => "V1StGXR8_Z5jdHi6B-myT"
4

Best Practices

1. Choose an appropriate length based on your uniqueness requirements.
2. Use a cryptographically secure random number generator.
3. If using custom alphabets, ensure they have enough entropy.
4. Store Nano IDs as strings, not integers, in databases.
5. Use indexes on Nano ID columns for efficient querying.

Limitations and Considerations

• Nano IDs are not sequential, which may impact database performance in some cases.
• They are not human-readable or sortable by generation time.
• Custom alphabets may affect collision probability and should be chosen carefully.

Implementing a Nano ID Generator in Web Applications

To implement a Nano ID generator in a web application:

1. Install the Nano ID library for your backend language.
2. Create an API endpoint that generates and returns a Nano ID.
3. Use client-side JavaScript to call the API when needed.

Example Express.js implementation:

1const express = require('express');
2const { nanoid } = require('nanoid');
3
4const app = express();
5
6app.get('/generate-id', (req, res) => {
7  const id = nanoid();
8  res.json({ id });
9});
10
11app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server running on port 3000'));
12

Performance Implications

Nano ID generation is generally very fast. On a typical computer, it can generate millions of IDs per second. However, consider the following:

• Generation speed may vary depending on the random number generator used.
• Custom alphabets or longer lengths may slightly impact performance.
• In high-load systems, consider generating IDs in batches.

Collision Probability and Mitigation

To mitigate collision risks:

1. Increase the Nano ID length for higher uniqueness requirements.
2. Implement a collision check in your application logic.
3. Use a larger alphabet if possible.

Storing and Indexing Nano IDs in Databases

When working with Nano IDs in databases:

1. Store them as VARCHAR or equivalent string type.
2. Use the full length of the Nano ID to ensure uniqueness.
3. Create an index on the Nano ID column for faster lookups.
4. Consider using a unique constraint to prevent duplicates at the database level.

Example SQL for creating a table with a Nano ID:

1CREATE TABLE users (
2  id VARCHAR(21) PRIMARY KEY,
3  name VARCHAR(100),
4  email VARCHAR(100)
5);
6
7CREATE INDEX idx_users_id ON users (id);
8

By following these guidelines and understanding the characteristics of Nano IDs, you can effectively implement and use them in your applications to generate compact, unique identifiers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nano ID Generators

What makes a Nano ID Generator better than UUID?

Nano ID Generators create shorter, more efficient identifiers compared to UUIDs. While UUIDs are 36 characters long, Nano IDs are only 21 characters, making them more suitable for URLs, databases, and user-facing applications where brevity matters.

How secure are Nano IDs generated by this tool?

Our Nano ID Generator uses cryptographically secure random number generation, making the IDs unpredictable and suitable for security-sensitive applications. The collision probability is extremely low - you'd need to generate over 1.36e36 IDs to have a 1% chance of collision.

Can I customize the length of generated Nano IDs?

Yes, our Nano ID Generator allows full customization of ID length. While the default is 21 characters, you can increase the length for higher uniqueness requirements or decrease it for shorter IDs, depending on your specific use case.

What character sets does the Nano ID Generator support?

The Nano ID Generator supports multiple character sets including:

• Default: A-Za-z0-9_- (64 characters, URL-safe)
• Numeric: 0-9 only
• Alphabetic: A-Za-z only
• Custom: Any character set you define

Are Nano IDs suitable for database primary keys?

Absolutely! Nano IDs make excellent database primary keys because they're unique, compact, and don't reveal sequence information. Store them as VARCHAR(21) with proper indexing for optimal performance.

How fast can this Nano ID Generator create IDs?

Our Nano ID Generator is extremely fast, capable of generating millions of IDs per second on typical hardware. Performance depends on your system's random number generator and chosen ID configuration.

Can Nano IDs be sorted chronologically?

No, Nano IDs are not time-sortable by design. They're completely random to ensure unpredictability. If you need time-sortable IDs, consider alternatives like ULID or KSUID, though they are longer than Nano IDs.

Is the Nano ID Generator suitable for distributed systems?

Yes, Nano ID Generators are perfect for distributed systems because they don't require coordination between nodes. Each system can independently generate unique IDs without collision risk, making them ideal for microservices and distributed architectures.

Get Started with Our Nano ID Generator

Ready to generate secure, unique identifiers? Use our Nano ID Generator tool above to create custom IDs for your projects. Simply adjust the length and character set options to match your requirements, then generate as many IDs as needed for your application.

References

1. "Nano ID." GitHub, https://github.com/ai/nanoid. Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.
2. "UUID." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universally_unique_identifier. Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.
3. "Collision probability calculator." Nano ID Collision Calculator, https://zelark.github.io/nano-id-cc/. Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.
4. "ULID Spec." GitHub, https://github.com/ulid/spec. Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.
5. "KSUID: K-Sortable Globally Unique IDs." GitHub, https://github.com/segmentio/ksuid. Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.
6. "ObjectID." MongoDB Manual, https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/reference/method/ObjectId/. Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.