# IfcGloballyUniqueIds spec description is incorrect - proposal to simplify **URL:** \ **Category:** Developers\ **Created:** [February 27, 2019, 10:58am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifcgloballyuniqueids-spec-description-is-incorrect-proposal-to-simplify/1083 "2019-02-27T10:58:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 7
**Author:** ![Moult](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.buildingsmart.org/moult/32/196_2.png) [@Moult](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/Moult)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 10:51am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifcgloballyuniqueids-spec-description-is-incorrect-proposal-to-simplify/1083/7 "2019-03-01T10:51:13Z")
Sounds good, are you suggesting to modify the spec in the meantime for IFC4x, and then in the next IFC5 release, revise the description of IFC GUIDs to a canonical UUID representation of 36 FIXED STRING `xxxxxxxx-xxxx-Mxxx-Nxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx`? I think this is a very clean and simple solution. This also prevents the issues with the non-standard base64 charset and complexity-adding padding truncation. In a separate discussion, a clearer definition of the purpose of a NULL GUID can be defined. Maybe we can also decide whether it is worth it to promote a specific UUID version? --- _[View the full topic](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifcgloballyuniqueids-spec-description-is-incorrect-proposal-to-simplify/1083)._