pw-seeder

name	pw-seeder
description	Use when creating, dispatching, or interacting with Database Seeding in ProcessWire (processwire-console file-based seeders).
risk	moderate
source	processwire-boost
date_added	2026-04-09

ProcessWire Database Seeding

This project implements a Laravel-style database seeding system for ProcessWire via the processwire-console package. It includes built-in auto-discovery of seeder classes and integration with FakerPHP.

When to Use

• You need to populate the database with dummy or initial data during development or after migrations.
• You are asked to create a "Seeder" for a specific module or template structure.

Core Content

Seeder Directory & Naming Guidelines

• Locations: Seeders MUST be placed inside site/seeders/*Seeder.php (global) or site/modules/[ModuleName]/seeders/*Seeder.php (module-scoped).
• Naming: Class names MUST end with Seeder (e.g., UsersSeeder) and match their filenames (UsersSeeder.php).
• Inheritance: The class MUST extend Totoglu\Console\Database\Seeder.

Creating a Seeder Endpoint

A basic seeder class overrides the run() method.

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Site\Seeders;

use Totoglu\Console\Database\Seeder;
use ProcessWire\Page;

class UsersSeeder extends Seeder
{
    public function run(): void
    {
        // Example: Seeding from JSON
        // $json = json_decode(file_get_contents(__DIR__ . '/users.json'), true);
        
        for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
            $p = new Page();
            $p->template = 'user';
            $p->parent = $this->wire->users->getPage();
            
            // Note: $this->faker is null unless fakerphp/faker is installed via composer.
            $p->name = "user-{$i}";
            $p->addStatus(Page::statusActive);
            $p->save();
        }
    }
}

Managing Seeders (CLI)

• wire make:seeder {Name} - Create a new seeder class in site/seeders/.
• wire make:seeder {Name} --module=MyModule - Create a seeder specifically inside a module.
• wire db:seed - Run all discovered seeders or a specific one with --class=UsersSeeder.

Anti-Patterns

• ❌ Direct SQL Inserts: Avoid raw $database->exec() logic when ProcessWire\Page objects cover the requirements. Native API honors hooks and formatting.
• ❌ Naming mismatches: Don't name files FakeUsers.php. It MUST end with Seeder.php or it won't be auto-discovered.

Related Skills

• pw-expert
• pw-migrations