Database

Database: seeding

Seeders fill your database with data, such as a first user for your own machine or the rows your tests and demos need.

Introduction#

A seeder is a class in database/seeders with a run() method. A new app has one, DatabaseSeeder, which db:seed runs unless you name another. It creates a test user; add a this.call() for each seeder you write.

Seeders run with mass assignment protection off, so create() takes every attribute you give it.

Writing seeders#

make:seeder writes a seeder in database/seeders:

node oriel make:seeder UserSeeder

A seeder's run() can insert rows with the query builder, or create models with their factories. It is async, so await each insert:

import { DB, Hash, Seeder, Str } from '@orieljs/framework'export default class UserSeeder extends Seeder {  /** Run the database seeders. */  async run(): Promise<void> {    await DB.table('users').insert({      name: Str.random(10),      email: `${Str.random(10)}@example.com`,      password: await Hash.make('password'),    })  }}

The file's default export is the seeder, or its export named after the file.

Using model factories#

Factories make many rows at once, with realistic values. A new app's DatabaseSeeder uses the User factory:

import { Seeder } from '@orieljs/framework'import { User } from '../../app/Models/User'export default class DatabaseSeeder extends Seeder {  async run(): Promise<void> {    await User.factory().create({      name: 'Test User',      email: 'test@example.com',    })  }}

User.factory(50).create() makes 50 users. Factories shows how to write factories and give them related models.

Calling additional seeders#

call() runs other seeders, in order, and prints each one's name as it runs:

import { Seeder } from '@orieljs/framework'import PostSeeder from './PostSeeder'import UserSeeder from './UserSeeder'export default class DatabaseSeeder extends Seeder {  async run(): Promise<void> {    await this.call(UserSeeder, PostSeeder)  }}

callSilent() runs them without printing.

Running seeders#

db:seed runs DatabaseSeeder. Name another seeder to run it alone:

node oriel db:seednode oriel db:seed UserSeeder

--database runs the seeder on another connection, which becomes the default while it runs.

--seed runs DatabaseSeeder after migrate, migrate:fresh or migrate:refresh, and --seeder another one:

node oriel migrate:fresh --seednode oriel migrate:fresh --seed --seeder=UserSeeder

Forcing seeders to run in production#

In production, db:seed stops unless you pass --force, so you can't fill your live database with test data by mistake:

node oriel db:seed --force