# Need Plain English Explanation of Unique identifier **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask for Help\ **Created:** [November 14, 2019, 2:46am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/need-plain-english-explanation-of-unique-identifier/1969 "2019-11-14T02:46:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spencersRus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/spencersrus/32/69_2.png) [@spencersRus](https://community.glideapps.com/u/spencersRus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 2:46am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/need-plain-english-explanation-of-unique-identifier/1969/1 "2019-11-14T02:46:33Z")
I feel like I am understanding most of what glide offers (and how I would use it) except now the Unique Identifier. Can someone give me the basic explanation on what it is/does but most of all why I would use it in the most basic way? I have read the announcement and the tweet but am not real sure what it is. (I did read a couple of replies on twitter that asked the same thing.) Anyone wanna offer a 1-2 sentence WHY? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/need-plain-english-explanation-of-unique-identifier/1969/2 "2019-11-14T03:00:01Z")
For me I have a sheet of students and another sheet with tests. Right now I use their name for the relation between sheets. If for some reason I need to change the students name (misspelled initially, or some other change required), on the main students sheet, then I would break the relation to the tests sheet. If I assign a unique identifier (which will never need to change), then I can can change anything in my students or tests sheets (such as name) and I will never lose my relation link between the two. ---
**Author:** ![marcovrj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/marcovrj/32/597_2.png) [@marcovrj](https://community.glideapps.com/u/marcovrj)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 11:54am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/need-plain-english-explanation-of-unique-identifier/1969/3 "2019-11-14T11:54:00Z")
But, can I use this Unique ID when I’m adding a new test, for example, without using form and special values, but just using a direct new test and a choice component? The question is: can I use choice component to choose a name, but in back end it put the Unique ID to create a relation? I have this scenario because I have some itens that are connected to more than one sheet and it’s not always necessary this connection. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/need-plain-english-explanation-of-unique-identifier/1969/4 "2019-11-15T20:03:07Z")
@marcovrj Currently no, but there may be a workaround depending on your situation. > [@Choice Component - allow key display pairs](https://community.glideapps.com/t/choice-component-allow-key-display-pairs/581/7): > > I’m continuing here from the UUID thread. I would love a hidden Value along with the visible Item in the choice list (ahem…along with per user data…ahem). But in the meantime, once a record is written, I think you could always use a lookup column or a vlookup in the sheet to get the associated underlying value or underlying UUID if that’s being used. I do this on one of my apps where the user selects a lesson type. Behind the scenes, I use a vlookup to pull the associated billing rate for t…