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I Built a Relational SQL Data Generator to Stop Writing Manual Test Seeds
Dhanush Gowda DEV Community 周榜
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Every time I start setting up local staging environments or testing SQL queries, I run into the same problem: generating dummy data for complex database schemas is annoying.
Existing tools usually generate flat CSV files. That works for a single table, but as soon as you have foreign keys (like users $\rightarrow$ orders $\rightarrow$ payments), manual seed scripts quickly turn into a headache.
To fix this for my own workflow, I built SeedSQL—a web tool that generates realistic, referentially valid SQL mock data.
The Problem with Mock Data
When testing multi-table schemas, flat random generators usually break your database constraints:
Foreign Key Mismatches: Child tables reference IDs that don't exist in parent tables.
Format Errors: Generated strings don't match strict SQL data types like UUID, TIMESTAMP, or VARCHAR.
Manual Setup: Writing 500 lines of custom INSERT INTO statements just to test a single query wastes hours.
How SeedSQL Works
You define your database schema (or select tables like users, products, orders), and SeedSQL generates relational datasets while maintaining strict key integrity:
You define your database schema (or select tables like users, products, orders), and SeedSQL generates relational datasets while maintaining strict key integrity:
Dependency Mapping: It automatically detects parent-child table relationships so parent rows exist before child rows link to them.
Key Preservation: Foreign keys in child tables correctly pull from the generated primary keys of parent tables.
Instant Export: You can export the generated data directly as clean .sql insert scripts or CSVs ready to load straight into PostgreSQL or MySQL.
Key Features
Multi-Table Relational Data: Keep foreign keys valid across complex schema hierarchies.
Localization Support: Generate country-specific details (names, phone formats, addresses).
Instant SQL Export: Get raw INSERT scripts formatted directly for your target SQL dialect.
Free Tier: Generate up to 1,000 rows instantly for quick schema tests.
Try It Out
If you're tired of manually writing seed files or cleaning up broken foreign key constraints, check out https://seed-sql.ai.studio/
I'd love to hear your feedback—what features or database dialects would make your testing workflow easier? Let me know in the comments!
Read original: https://dev.to/dhanush_gowda_f54b58cdea6/i-built-a-relational-sql-data-generator-to-stop-writing-manual-test-seeds-558g
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