bknd-seed-data_skill

Overview

This skill shows how to populate a Bknd database with initial, test, or demo data using the options.seed function. It documents using ctx.em.mutator() for insertOne/insertMany, conditional checks to avoid duplicates, environment-based seeding, and common patterns for dev/test fixtures. Follow the patterns to keep seeds idempotent and safe for production.

How this skill works

Add a seed async function under options in your Bknd config. Use ctx.em.mutator(entity).insertOne(...) or insertMany([...]) to create records server-side. Protect runs with repo queries (count or findOne) and environment checks so seeds are idempotent and avoid inserting duplicate or sensitive data on every startup.

When to use it

• Populate initial data on first startup or after schema sync
• Create test fixtures for development and CI runs
• Bootstrap admin users, roles, or required default records
• Generate demo data for presentations or local testing
• Load environment-specific datasets (dev vs production)

Best practices

• Always check for existing records (count or findOne) before inserting
• Insert parent entities before children to satisfy foreign keys
• Guard production with NODE_ENV and only insert essential data there
• Keep seed functions idempotent and log progress for debugging
• Avoid seeding sensitive credentials; use env vars for production admin

Example use cases

• Seed an admin user and default roles if no users exist
• Generate 50 test posts and 10 fake users for local development
• Create tags and link them to posts after inserting users
• Use factory functions or faker to create varied test fixtures
• Conditionally skip full dev seed when running in production