---
title: ids - X4 identifiers
summary: UniverseID, ComponentID, Lua component references and UI handles are not interchangeable. Representation depends on the API layer. Do not substitute a pointer address for an ID or lose a 64-bit ID through number conversion.
section: reference
kind: guide
status: reference
updated: 2026-10-26
tags: ["API","X4"]
sources: ["https://wiki.egosoft.com/X4%20Foundations%20Wiki/Modding%20Support/","https://www.lua.org/manual/5.1/manual.html","https://luajit.org/ext_ffi_api.html"]
---
## Meaning

UniverseID, ComponentID, Lua component references and UI handles are not interchangeable. Representation depends on the API layer. Do not substitute a pointer address for an ID or lose a 64-bit ID through number conversion.

## Example

```lua
-- Keep the representation required by the receiving API.
-- Convert only through a documented engine conversion.
```

**What happens:** The comments explain a rule; there are no executable actions.

This fragment does not print or write a log message. The values shown are the expected results of the example.

## Methods and related calls

[API reference](wiki:api-index).