Re^2: Converting a number back to it's original string (that was hashed to generate that number)

[Nik]

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[roboticus]

Nik:

What part of my post was unclear? If you're going to persist, then you, not us, are going to have to figure out the mapping, ensure the constraints on the string, and write the python code.

I'll speak no more on the topic.

...roboticus

When your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like your thumb.

[Anonymous Monk]

HOW to map both ways, in a one to one relation, (5-digit-integer <=> string) without losing any information?

CREATE TABLE pin_to_url (
  pin int PRIMARY KEY,
  url varchar(255)
);

SELECT v.*, pu.url FROM visitors v
  JOIN pin_to_url pu ON pu.pin = v.pin
  ORDER BY whatever;

Just store the filename alongside the pin into the table and it'll work pretty well.

The only other way of mapping string to pin -- apart from the lookup table I've just typed out -- is enumerating over the possible filenames and hashing each in turn, comparing the result to the pin. There's no way around it with the constraints you stubbornly add.

Oh, by the way, with 100 files and 10k available (random-ish) identification numbers, you might hit the birthday paradox. About 60% probable, I think. You don't want a hashing function -- you want an integer sequence. Databases provide those.