Seed

ELI5 — The Vibe Check

Seeding a database means filling it with initial or test data automatically. Instead of manually clicking around to add sample users, products, and orders, you run a seed script and the database is pre-populated. Essential for development and testing.

Real Talk

Database seeding is the process of populating a database with initial data. Seeds are typically scripts that INSERT predefined rows needed for the application to function (admin users, config values) or for development/testing (fake data using factories/generators like Faker). Most ORM frameworks include a seed runner.

Show Me The Code

-- Seed file example
INSERT INTO categories (name) VALUES
  ('Electronics'),
  ('Clothing'),
  ('Books');

When You'll Hear This

"Run the seed script to populate the local database with test data." / "The seed creates an admin user so you can log in immediately."