What does it mean for an ABAP function to be time-based? And what is a time seed?

[former_member596118]

For example if a function which generates UUID is meant to be time based what does this mean?

[I044433]

Interesting question Ikim. Would you mind sharing more details where you encountered this?

Cheers

[felipe_dimmu23]

Very hard to understand what you are asking without the context. Based on the UUID part I believe you want a function module that returns Universally Uniquely Identifier. These are generated by functions that are able to successfully generate random responses. Every random function needs a "seed", something it works on top of to generate random, unique, responses every time.

There is this to help:

http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/935047

Or basically, use class cl_system_uuid, which relies on lower kernel to generate seeds and random. It is a good thing.

If you are not talking about these...no idea actually.

[michael_piesche]

I assume you are asking about these concepts in general, from a theoretical point of view, and not directly from a practical use-case point of view in SAP ABAP coding.

>> What does it mean for an ABAP function to be time-based?
>> For example if a function which generates UUID is meant to be time based what does this mean?

When the UUID / GUID is generated, the current time stamp is also taken into account in order to generate that universally/globally unique id, along with other information such as a MAC-address. What actually goes into the generation process depends on the implementation (version). So if it is time-based, the current date/time will go into the generation.

• see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universally_unique_identifier

>> And what is a time seed?

Seeds play a role in generating 'random' numbers. Algorithms cannot generate completely random numbers. It all depends on the seed, the starting point of the generation process. The seed determines the sequence of generated 'random' numbers.

In encryption processes that use random numbers, the seed is also generated 'randomly' and used as a secret key.

=> Random seeds are often generated from the state of the computer system, such as the time.

• see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_seed

[michael_piesche]

ikim.ssq, is your question answered, do you still have open or new issues with your question? Please add comments if still issues exist, upvote or accept answers if answers are valuable or sufficient to solve your problem, add and describe your own answer if you found a totally different solution to your problem, close question with appropriate tag if discussion about the question can be ended.