PostgreSQL extension for generating Xata-style xata_id unique identifiers (rec_<20_chars>) using Rust and pgrx.
tsiry-sandratraina.com
1# xata_id PostgreSQL Extension
2[](https://github.com/tsirysndr/xata_id_extension/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
3
4A PostgreSQL extension written in Rust using pgrx to generate Xata-style unique identifiers (xata_id) in the format rec_<20_random_chars>. The IDs consist of a rec_ prefix followed by a 20-character random string using the alphabet a-z0-9, mimicking Xata's ID format (e.g., ` rec_cug4h6ibhfbm7uq5dte0`).
5
6## Features
7- Generates 24-character unique IDs with a rec_ prefix and 20 random characters (a-z0-9).
8- Safe integration with PostgreSQL via pgrx for robust memory management.
9- Comprehensive unit and integration tests to verify ID format, length, and uniqueness.
10- Lightweight and performant, suitable for use as a primary key default value.
11
12## Requirements
13- PostgreSQL 13–18
14- Rust and cargo-pgrx (version 0.15)
15- A compatible operating system (Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL)
16
17## Installation
18**1. Install Dependencies**
19
20Install Rust and pgrx:
21
22```bash
23curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
24cargo install cargo-pgrx
25cargo pgrx init
26```
27
28**2. Clone the repository:**
29
30```bash
31git clone https://github.com/tsirysndr/xata_id_extension
32cd xata_id_extension
33```
34
35**3. Build the Extension**
36
37Compile the extension for your PostgreSQL version (e.g., PostgreSQL 16):
38
39```bash
40cargo pgrx package
41```
42
43**4. Install the Extension**
44
45Install the extension to your PostgreSQL instance:
46
47```bash
48cargo pgrx install
49```
50
51**5. Enable the Extension in PostgreSQL**
52
53Connect to your PostgreSQL database and run:
54
55```bash
56psql -d your_database_name
57```
58
59Then, enable the extension:
60
61```sql
62CREATE EXTENSION xata_id_extension;
63```
64
65## Usage
66
67The extension provides a `xata_id()` function that generates a unique ID. Use it as the default value for a primary key in a table:
68
69**Create a Table**
70
71```sql
72CREATE TABLE users (
73 id TEXT PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT xata_id(),
74 username VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
75 email VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE,
76 created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
77);
78```
79**Insert Data**
80
81Insert rows, and the id column will automatically use xata_id():
82
83```sql
84INSERT INTO users (username, email) VALUES ('alice', 'alice@example.com');
85INSERT INTO users (username, email) VALUES ('bob', 'bob@example.com');
86SELECT * FROM users;
87```
88
89**Example Output**
90
91```plaintext
92 id | username | email | created_at
93--------------------------+----------+-------------------+------------------------
94 rec_cug4h6ibhfbm7uq5dte0 | alice | alice@example.com | 2025-07-25 12:00:00
95 rec_4h6ibhfbm7uq5dte0cug | bob | bob@example.com | 2025-07-25 12:01:00
96```
97
98## License
99
100This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the [LICENSE](./LICENSE) file for details.