Using UUIDs in mongoose for ObjectID references
First, MongoDB's default ObjectId is a 12-byte BSON type that ensures uniqueness of documents within a collection. However, in certain scenarios, developers might prefer using UUID (Universal Unique Identifier), a 16-byte identifier that provides broader uniqueness and is suitable for sharing data across multiple databases or services.In Mongoose, to use UUID as the ObjectId, we can follow the steps and code implementation below:Step 1: Install and import the required dependenciesFirst, ensure that the library is installed for generating UUIDs.Step 2: Define the SchemaIn the Mongoose model definition, we can use UUID by setting the to and specifying the subtype as 4 for UUID.Here, we use the method from the library to generate UUIDs. We need to ensure that the field is correctly displayed as a string when outputting (e.g., when converting to JSON or Object). Therefore, we configure the Schema with and settings.Step 3: Use the ModelNow, when creating a new user document, Mongoose automatically generates a UUID for us.By doing this, we can ensure that each user has a globally unique identifier, which is very useful when handling data across databases or systems.In summary, while MongoDB's default ObjectId is sufficient for most uniqueness requirements, using UUID provides a safer option in globally distributed systems. Implementing it in Mongoose is relatively straightforward, primarily involving appropriate type settings and default value configurations in the Schema definition.