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License
No restrictions apply to this code.

Long description
This mode provides interface with several functions that are meant to ensure uniqueness of text written in backer_name field. If those lines are unique, they can be used as keys in tables. Looking up the key in table is faster than doing the search for the table value.
The functions of this mod append a number surrounded by #'s at the end of current backername.
To me it seems simple and reliable enough solution for the problem.

Pictures
[img]pic[/img]

Version history
0.1.0(10.10.2015): Initial release
0.2.0(17.10.2015): A trivial update to 12.11.
0.2.1(21.08.2016): An update to 0.13+

This mod provides a couple of functions to append unique number to the end of an entity backer name in a following format #number#.
The format was chosen with the idea that it's uncommon for people to normally use such and thus collisions could be avoided.
The primary intent of usage is allowing storing locomotives in tables indexed by the backer_name.
The functions may be used on entity of any arbitrary type, however, for immobile entities it may be
better to use their position as identifier in table.
The mod functions don't check whether the entity has a backer name. Reasons are
These functions are intended to be used in cases when modder has already performed typecheck.
The resulting runtime error, doesn't result in game stop, only in console crap message.

To use the functionality:

1. Your mod must list UniqueBackerNames in it's dependencies. e.g. "dependencies": ["base >= 0.12.0","UniqueBackerNames"]

2a. If you are making mod that renames things, use the "rename" function to provide compatibility with other mods:
remote.call("UniqueBackerNames","rename",entity_to_rename,new_name)

2b. If you're making mod with backername indexed tables:
Whenever you want to make a table entry with backer name as a key, you should first invoke "make_unique" function on the entity:

game.on_event({defines.events.on_built_entity,defines.events.on_robot_built_entity},
function(event)
if event.created_entity.type=='locomotive' then
remote.call("UniqueBackerNames","make_unique",event.created_entity)--this is the addition to normal code
global.my_table[event.created_entity.backer_name]=event.created_entity
end
end)

3. To make sure that your data structures aren't distorted by renaming (if that's done responsibly) you need to subscribe handler
to custom event (in mod's code it's called on_rename):

game.on_event(remote.call("UniqueBackerNames",'on_rename_event'),
function(event)
if event.entity.type=='locomotive" then
global.my_table[event.entity.backer_name]=global.my_table[event.old_name]
global.my_table[event.old_name]=nil
end
end)