How Can We Efficiently Store UUIDs as Human-Readable Base64 Strings?

Storing UUIDs as Efficient and Human-Readable Base64 Strings

The use of UUIDs (Universally Unique Identifiers) as database keys is often preferred to ensure unique and immutable references. However, optimizing space while preserving human readability can be a challenge.

Exploring a Space-Saving Approach

One approach involves using base64 encoding to represent UUIDs as compact and human-readable strings. Base64 reduces the input size by about 33%, encoding 3 bytes into 4 characters. Removing unnecessary trailing "==" characters further optimizes the representation.

Assessing the Implementation

In one implementation, UUIDs are converted to byte arrays, then encoded as base64 strings. The resulting string is trimmed and re-decoded to reconstruct the original UUID. The number of bytes is monitored throughout the process.

Efficiency Evaluation

The method effectively reduces the UUID representation from 36 to 22 bytes. The conversion process preserves the integrity of the UUID, enabling successful reconstruction.

Alternative Solution

An alternative solution is presented using the Apache Commons Codec library. This method leverages the UUID class to convert UUIDs to base64 strings and back. The base64 representation utilizes a URL-safe encoding, resulting in a 30-character string.

Conclusion

Storing UUIDs as base64 strings can achieve space optimization while maintaining human readability. However, it is important to note that any optimizations need to consider the specific requirements and constraints of the application.

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