GaROUPa: A Novel Python Library for Unique Identification and Data Versioning
A new Python library called GaROUPa has been developed to tackle the identification problem of multi-valued objects and sequences of events. This innovative library provides a reference implementation for the UT*.4 specification and presents a fresh approach to universally unique identification (UUID).
One of the key features of GaROUPa is its ability to generate deterministic and predictable identifiers even before an object is generated by a process, which can save time and resources. By mapping data versioning and the composition of processing steps as simple operations over identifiers, GaROUPa introduces the concept of Hosh, where an identifier becomes an operable hash.
The library also offers a complete implementation of additional ideas presented in the associated research paper. This implementation is available as a cacheable lazy dict, which serves as an advanced usage example and depends on GaROUPa. There is a more robust version called idict available in the package, which has been rewritten entirely.
Using GaROUPa, a product of identifiers can generate a new identifier by passing sequences of bytes to simulate binary objects to be hashed. The chance of collision, or identifier duplication, is determined by the number of possible identifiers for each type. GaROUPa provides different versions, such as UT32.4, UT40.4 (default), and UT64.4, which can be implemented easily in other programming languages.
The library offers different types of identifiers to suit various use cases. Unordered ids use a narrow range of identifiers and are less useful, whereas hybrid ids are excellent for representing values in a data structure like a map. Hybrid ids do not rely on order when the consumer process looks up keys rather than indexes. On the other hand, ordered ids are perfect for identifying functions and their composition in a chain of data processing functions, where one step depends on the result of the previous step.
GaROUPa extends its capabilities beyond identification and provides some niceties for group theory experimentation, making it attractive for researchers exploring group theory.
Moreover, the computation time required for the operations performed by GaROUPa is considered negligible for most applications. The library demonstrates efficiency, but there is potential for even greater speed gains if the core code is ported to Rust. A previous implementation called hosh was faster than GaROUPa’s early version and will be updated to be fully compatible with the current GaROUPa at a major release. However, as GaROUPa already offers high performance, an updated Rust implementation may not be necessary. Certain parts of the algebra module in GaROUPa require additional packages, which can be installed conveniently.
This development of GaROUPa was partially supported by Fapesp under the supervision of Prof. André C. P. L. F. de Carvalho at CEPID-CeMEAI, with grants 2013/07375-0 and 2019/01735-0.
In summary, GaROUPa is a groundbreaking Python library that addresses the identification problem of multi-valued objects and provides a unique solution for data versioning. With its deterministic and predictable identifiers and support for various types of identifiers, GaROUPa offers a versatile tool for developers. Furthermore, its potential extension to group theory experimentation adds to its appeal. The library demonstrates impressive performance, and while there may be room for further optimization, it already offers compelling results. GaROUPa presents a valuable contribution to the field of unique identification and data versioning in Python.
Keywords: GaROUPa, Python library, unique identification, data versioning, identifiers, Hosh, operable hash, UT*.4 specification, hybrid ids, ordered ids, group theory, performance optimization.
