NPM(Node Package Manager) is a package manager of Node.js packages. There is an NPM package called ‘shortid’ used to create short non-sequential url-friendly unique ids. Unique ids are created by Cryptographically-strong random values that’s why it is very secure. It has support for cross-platform like Node, React Native, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.
Command to install:
npm install uuid
Syntax to import the package in local file
const {v4 : uuidv4} = require('uuid')
Syntax to create unique id
const newId = uuidv4()
There are some methods defined on shortid modules to create unique ids and customize the ids. some of the methods are illustrates below:
Method | Work |
uuid.NIL | The nil UUID string (all zeros) |
uuid.parse() | Convert UUID string to array of bytes |
uuid.validate() | Test a string to see if it is a valid UUID |
uuid.v1() | Create a version 1 (timestamp) UUID |
uuid.v3() | Create a version 3 (namespace w/ MD5) UUID |
uuid.v4() | Create a version 4 (random) UUID |
uuid.v5() | Create a version 5 (namespace w/ SHA-1) UUID |
uuid.stringify() | Convert array of bytes to UUID string |
Example 1: This example illustrates how to generate and use uuid package to create unique ids.
filename-index.js: This file contains all the logic to create unique ids and attach it with user information and save to the database.
const express = require( 'express' )
const bodyParser = require( 'body-parser' )
const {v4 : uuidv4} = require( 'uuid' )
const formTemplet = require( './form' )
const repo = require( './repository' )
const app = express() const port = process.env.PORT || 3000 // The body-parser middleware to parse form data app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({extended : true }))
// Get route to display HTML form app.get( '/' , (req, res) => {
res.send(formTemplet({}))
}) // Post route to handle form submission logic and app.post( '/' , (req, res) => {
// Fetching user inputs
const {name, email} = req.body
// Creating new unique id
const userId = uuidv4()
// Saving record to the database
// with attaching userid to each record
repo.create({
userId,
name,
email
})
res.send( 'Information submitted!' )
}) // Server setup app.listen(port, () => { console.log(`Server start on port ${port}`)
}) |
filename – repository.js: This file contain all the logic to create database and interact with it.
// Importing node.js file system module const fs = require( 'fs' )
class Repository { constructor(filename) {
// Filename where data are going to store
if (!filename) {
throw new Error(
'Filename is required to create a datastore!' )
}
this .filename = filename
try {
fs.accessSync( this .filename)
} catch (err) {
// If file not exist it is created
// with empty array
fs.writeFileSync( this .filename, '[]' )
}
}
// Get all existing records
async getAll() {
return JSON.parse(
await fs.promises.readFile( this .filename, {
encoding : 'utf8'
})
)
}
// Create new record
async create(attrs){
// Fetch all existing records
const records = await this .getAll()
// All the existing records with new
// record push back to database
records.push(attrs)
await fs.promises.writeFile(
this .filename,
JSON.stringify(records, null , 2)
)
return attrs
}
} // The 'datastore.json' file created at runtime // and all the information provided via signup form // store in this file in JSON format. module.exports = new Repository( 'datastore.json' )
|
filename – form.js: This file contain all the logic to render form.
module.exports = ({errors}) => { return `
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <link rel= 'stylesheet' href=
<style>
div.columns {
margin-top: 100px;
}
.button {
margin-top: 10px
}
</style>
</head> <body> <div class= 'container' >
<div class= 'columns is-centered' >
<div class= 'column is-5' >
<form action= '/' method= 'POST' >
<div>
<div>
<label class= 'label'
id= 'str' >Name
</label>
</div>
<input class= 'input' type= 'text'
name= 'name' placeholder= 'Name'
for = 'name' >
</div>
<div>
<div>
<label class= 'label' id= 'email' >
Email
</label>
</div>
<input class= 'input' type= 'email'
name= 'email' placeholder= 'Email'
for = 'email' >
</div>
<div>
<button class= 'button is-info' >
Submit
</button>
</div>
</form>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body> </html> `
} |
Output:
Database:
Example 2: This example illustrates how to use uuid.parse() and uuid.stringify() methods.
filename-index.js: This file contains all the logic to create unique ids and attach it with user information and save to the database and also convert id to parsed bytes and parsed bytes to string id.
const express = require( 'express' )
const bodyParser = require( 'body-parser' )
const { v4 : uuidv4,
parse:uuidParse,
stringify : uuidStringify
} = require( 'uuid' )
const formTemplet = require( './form' )
const repo = require( './repository' )
const app = express() const port = process.env.PORT || 3000 // The body-parser middleware to parse form data app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({extended : true }))
// Get route to display HTML form app.get( '/' , (req, res) => {
res.send(formTemplet({}))
}) // Post route to handle form submission logic and app.post( '/' , (req, res) => {
// Fetching user inputs
const {name, email} = req.body
// Creating new unique id
const userId = uuidv4()
const parsedId = uuidParse(userId)
const stringfyId = uuidStringify(parsedId)
console.log(`parsedId : ${parsedId}\n`)
console.log(`StringifyId : ${stringfyId}\n`)
// Saving record to the database
// with attaching userid to each record
repo.create({
userId,
name,
email
})
res.send( 'Information submitted!' )
}) // Server setup app.listen(port, () => { console.log(`Server start on port ${port}`)
}) |
filename – repository.js: This file contain all the logic to create database and interact with it.
// Importing node.js file system module const fs = require( 'fs' )
class Repository { constructor(filename) {
// Filename where datas are going to store
if (!filename) {
throw new Error(
'Filename is required to create a datastore!' )
}
this .filename = filename
try {
fs.accessSync( this .filename)
} catch (err) {
// If file not exist it is created
// with empty array
fs.writeFileSync( this .filename, '[]' )
}
}
// Get all existing records
async getAll() {
return JSON.parse(
await fs.promises.readFile( this .filename, {
encoding : 'utf8'
})
)
}
// Create new record
async create(attrs){
// Fetch all existing records
const records = await this .getAll()
// All the existing records with new
// record push back to database
records.push(attrs)
await fs.promises.writeFile(
this .filename,
JSON.stringify(records, null , 2)
)
return attrs
}
} // The 'datastore.json' file created at runtime // and all the information provided via signup form // store in this file in JSON format. module.exports = new Repository( 'datastore.json' )
|
filename – form.js : This file contain all the logic to render form.
const getError = (errors, prop) => { try {
return errors.mapped()[prop].msg
} catch (error) {
return ''
}
} module.exports = ({errors}) => { return `
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <link rel= 'stylesheet' href=
<style>
div.columns {
margin-top: 100px;
}
.button {
margin-top: 10px
}
</style>
</head> <body> <div class= 'container' >
<div class= 'columns is-centered' >
<div class= 'column is-5' >
<form action= '/' method= 'POST' >
<div>
<div>
<label class= 'label' id= 'str' >
Name
</label>
</div>
<input class= 'input' type= 'text'
name= 'name' placeholder= 'Name'
for = 'name' >
</div>
<div>
<div>
<label class= 'label' id= 'email' >
Email
</label>
</div>
<input class= 'input' type= 'email'
name= 'email' placeholder= 'Email'
for = 'email' >
</div>
<div>
<button class= 'button is-info' >
Submit
</button>
</div>
</form>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body> </html> `
} |
Output:
Database:
Note: We have used some Bulma classes in form.js file to design our content.