Data::UUID
=================

Data::UUID - Perl extension for generating Globally/Universally 
	     Unique Identifiers (GUIDs/UUIDs).

This module provides a framework for generating UUIDs (Universally Unique
Identifiers, also known as GUIDs (Globally Unique Identifiers). A UUID is
128 bits long, and is guaranteed to be different from all other UUIDs/GUIDs
generated until 3400 A.D. UUIDs were originally used in the Network Computing 
System (NCS) and later in the Open Software Foundation's (OSF) Distributed 
Computing Environment. Currently many different technologies rely on UUIDs to
provide unique identity for various software components, Microsoft COM/DCOM
for instance, uses GUIDs very extensively to uniquely identify classes, 
applications and components across network-connected systems.

INSTALLATION

To install this module type the following:

   perl Makefile.PL
   make
   make test
   make install

NOTE: This module is designed to save its state information in a permanent 
storage location. The installation script (i.e. Makefile.PL) prompts for 
a directory name to use as a storage location for state file and defaults 
this directory to "/var/tmp" if no directory name is provided. 
The installation script will not accept names of directories that do not
exist, however, it will take the locations, which the installing user
has no write permissions to. In this case, the state information will not be
saved, which will maximize the chances of generating duplicate UUIDs.

COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE

Copyright (C) 2001, Alexander Golomshtok

