How It Works

The generator reads your input as a list of identifiers, one per line. Each line is trimmed to remove accidental leading or trailing whitespace. Empty lines are ignored, so you can paste lists from tickets, spreadsheets, or README files without extra cleanup. Next, the tool computes a deterministic hash for every ID using the algorithm you select. The resulting hash can be truncated to a fixed length, which is useful when you want compact tokens for bundled code, localStorage keys, or query parameters.

Finally, the tool formats the output as a mapping object (ID → hash) in the format you choose. For frontend projects, the JavaScript output can be used as a small module that exports both the mapping and a convenience lookup helper. For backend or shared tooling, the PHP array output can be used as a config file or helper include. For cross-stack sharing, the JSON output can be loaded by a build step or served from an endpoint.

Step-by-step process

• 1) Paste IDs: Add your SPA/PWA IDs (route keys, precache entries, cache names, event names) one per line. Keep them stable to preserve token continuity over time.
• 2) Choose an algorithm: Pick MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, or CRC32B depending on your compatibility requirements, performance needs, and collision tolerance.
• 3) Configure length and casing: Use a shorter output for compact tokens, or a longer output for larger registries. Optional uppercase output can match existing conventions.
• 4) Clean up the list: Turn on sorting to keep diffs tidy and enable deduplication to prevent accidental duplicates from creating confusion in lookups.
• 5) Generate and export: Copy the result into your codebase or download it as a text file. The output is designed to be pasted without manual editing.

Because the output is deterministic, it is safe to run the generator multiple times. As long as your input list and options stay the same, the mapping remains identical. This makes the tool suitable for teams that want consistent ID registries across environments (local development, staging, production) and across build systems (CI pipelines, local scripts, or manual updates).

Key Features

Multiple hashing algorithms

Different projects have different constraints. A legacy integration might already rely on MD5 tokens, while a newer system might prefer SHA-256 for stronger dispersion. CRC32B is useful when you need an extremely fast, compact hash and accept a higher probability of collisions. By supporting several common options, the generator can fit into both modern and older stacks without forcing a rewrite of existing conventions.

For typical SPA and PWA registries, SHA-256 is a robust default. Even when you truncate it, you often retain good distribution properties in practice, which helps reduce accidental collisions when your ID list grows over time.

Deterministic, repeatable output

One of the biggest benefits of hashing IDs is repeatability: the same input produces the same token every time. That means you can regenerate mappings whenever you refactor your service worker, expand your event taxonomy, or update your caching strategy, without worrying that the output will drift. Determinism also makes it easy to track changes in Git, because only the IDs you add, remove, or rename will change the mapping.

Repeatable output is especially helpful in CI. You can keep a canonical list of IDs in your repository, regenerate the mapping as part of a build step, and compare it against a committed file to detect accidental changes.

Format-ready exports for common stacks

The tool outputs mapping code that is designed to be used immediately. JavaScript output fits well into React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, and plain SPA builds. PHP output is convenient for Laravel or any PHP backend that needs to share the same ID registry (for example, for server-side rendering, analytics, or API caching). JSON output is a neutral format that can be consumed by build tools, configuration systems, or multiple services.

Because the generator focuses on clean formatting, it produces output that is readable during code review. The goal is to give you deterministic tokens without hiding the original meaning of each ID.

Sorting and deduplication for clean diffs

When mappings are committed to version control, ordering matters. Sorting IDs (natural, case-insensitive) keeps output stable and makes diffs predictable. Deduplication prevents duplicates from producing redundant lines or confusing lookups. Together, these options help reduce review friction and keep configuration files tidy.

Even if you do not sort in production, sorting during generation is useful as a “canonicalization” step that makes tooling output consistent across contributors and machines.

Developer-friendly actions: copy, reset, and download

Small utilities matter. One-click copy makes it easy to paste into your editor without selecting a large block manually. Reset brings the tool back to defaults, which is helpful when you are trying different formats and algorithms. Download produces a plain text file that can be saved, attached to a ticket, or committed into your repository as a configuration artifact.

These actions are intentionally simple and dependency-free, making the tool fast and predictable even in restricted environments.

Use Cases

• Service worker precache helpers: Map human-readable precache keys to compact hashed tokens. This can reduce repeated strings in your bundle while keeping your source list readable.
• Cache namespace versioning: Generate stable tokens for cache names such as “api-v1”, “images”, “fonts”, and “shell”. Consistent cache namespaces help when you want to selectively invalidate parts of a PWA.
• Analytics event IDs: Convert event names into consistent hashed identifiers when you prefer not to transmit raw event strings. This can reduce payload size and normalize dashboards.
• Feature flag tokens: Create deterministic tokens for feature flags that must be compact for cookies, localStorage, or URL parameters, while still mapping cleanly back to a readable key.
• Routing and component registries: Build registries where each route/component ID maps to a short token used in internal telemetry, error reporting, or A/B test assignment.
• Shared ID maps across stacks: Generate a JSON map that both a JavaScript client and a PHP backend can consume, ensuring identical tokens on both sides.
• Testing and snapshot stability: Replace verbose IDs with stable hash tokens in snapshots or test fixtures so test output stays readable and consistent across runs.
• Build-time manifests: Create a hashed manifest for internal resources (templates, partials, widgets) to simplify tooling that needs deterministic identifiers.

Many teams end up writing one-off scripts to generate these maps, then forget how they were produced. This tool centralizes the workflow into a repeatable, documented process. The output is deterministic, so you can regenerate it any time you need—during a refactor, in CI, or when onboarding a new developer—without introducing drift.

Another common pattern is to keep an “IDs source of truth” file, such as ids.txt or a YAML list, and then regenerate the mapping when the list changes. Because the generator supports sorting and deduplication, it is easier to ensure the mapping stays stable even if the source list is edited by multiple people.

Optimization Tips

Choose a hash length that scales with your list size

Short hashes are convenient, but collision probability increases as you add more IDs. For small lists (tens of items), 8–12 characters may be fine. For medium lists (hundreds of items), consider 12–16. For large registries (thousands of items), use a longer length such as 20–32, or avoid truncation entirely. If collisions matter, add a quick validation step in your build process that checks for duplicate hash values.

Use SHA-256 for long-lived registries and shared configs

If your mapping will be shared between services, shipped in a client bundle, or referenced over many releases, SHA-256 is a strong default. It is widely available, produces a long hash with excellent distribution, and truncates well in practical use. While MD5 and SHA-1 are still common for compatibility, they should not be used for security-sensitive purposes.

Stabilize your ID naming conventions early

Hashes are deterministic: renaming an ID changes the hash. If your hashed tokens are stored in client data or referenced by logs, frequent renaming can complicate analysis. Treat IDs as part of your internal API and document conventions (case, separators, prefixes). If a rename is unavoidable, maintain a temporary alias layer so older clients and historical logs can be mapped to the new ID until the old value is fully retired.

Finally, remember that hashing is a tool for determinism and compactness, not a guarantee of secrecy. If an identifier is sensitive, avoid embedding it in the first place and use proper authorization or encryption strategies instead.

FAQ