/ 
Data-Fake-0.006
River stage one • 4 direct dependents • 7 total dependents
/ Data::Fake

NAME

Data::Fake - Declaratively generate fake structured data for testing

VERSION

version 0.006

SYNOPSIS

use Data::Fake qw/Core Names Text Dates/;

my $hero_generator = fake_hash(
    {
        name      => fake_name(),
        battlecry => fake_sentences(1),
        birthday  => fake_past_datetime("%Y-%m-%d"),
        friends   => fake_array( fake_int(2,4), fake_name() ),
        gender    => fake_pick(qw/Male Female Other/),
    }
);

my $hero = $hero_generator->();

### example output ###
# {
#    'name'      => 'Antonio Nicholas Preston'
#    'battlecry' => 'Est ipsum corrupti quia voluptatibus.',
#    'birthday'  => '2004-04-21',
#    'friends'   => [
#                     'Jaylin Lillianna Morgan',
#                     'Colin Noel Estes',
#                     'Justice Aron Hale',
#                     'Franco Zane Oneil'
#                   ],
#    'gender'    => 'Male',
# };

DESCRIPTION

This module generates randomized, fake structured data using declarative syntax.

Data::Fake is built on higher-order programming principles. It provides users with "factory" functions, which create "generator" functions for specific pieces of data.

Wherever randomized, fake data is desired, a generator code reference is used as a placeholder for the desired output. Each time the top-level generator is run, nested generators are recursively run to turn placeholders into the desired randomized data.

For example, the SYNOPSIS declares the desired form of a "hero" using the fake_hash factory function. The input is a hash-reference, with nested generators created as placeholders by the fake_name, fake_sentences, etc. factory functions:

my $hero_generator = fake_hash(
    {
        name      => fake_name(),
        battlecry => fake_sentences(1),
        birthday  => fake_past_datetime("%Y-%m-%d"),
        friends   => fake_array( fake_int(2,4), fake_name() ),
        gender    => fake_pick(qw/Male Female Other/),
    }
);

Every time $hero_generator is run, a new hash is generated based on the template and nested generators.

USAGE

Loading the right submodules

Factory functions are exported by submodules, loosely grouped by topic:

Submodules can be loaded directly, to control exactly which functions are exported, or they can be loaded by the Data::Fake import function like so:

use Data::Fake qw/Core Company Dates Names/;

In this case, the listed submodules are loaded and all their functions are imported.

Constructing the desired output

Use the factory functions to construct a generator for your data. Start with the highest level structure using fake_hash or fake_array. Use other factory functions to create placeholders with specific data types.

For example, a hash generator with placeholders for phone numbers:

$hash_generator = fake_hash(
    {
        home => fake_digits("###-###-####"),
        work => fake_digits("###-###-####"),
        cell => fake_digits("###-###-####"),
    }
);

Or build them up piece by piece. For example, an array of 100 of the previous hash references:

$array_generator = fake_array( 100, $hash_generator );

Then generate the hundred instances, each with three fake phone numbers:

$aoh = $array_generator->();

See Data::Fake::Examples for ideas for how to use and combine generators.

Using custom generators

Generators are just code references. You can use your own anywhere a Data::Fake generator could be used:

$generator = fake_hash(
    favorite_color => \&my_favorite_color_picker,
    number_squared => sub { ( int(rand(10)) + 1 ) ** 2 },
);

You can (and probably should) write your own factory functions for anything complex or that you'll use more than once. You can use Data::Fake generators as part of these functions.

use Data::Fake qw/Core/;

sub fake_squared_int {
    my $max_int = shift;
    my $prng = fake_int( 1, $max_int );
    return sub { $prng->() ** 2 };
}

$generator = fake_hash(
    number_squared => fake_squared_int(10),
);

Caveats and special cases

Because many data structures are walked recursively looking for code-references to replace, circular references will cause an infinite loop.

If you need a code references as part of your output data structure, you need to wrap it in a code reference.

$generator = fake_hash(
    a_function => sub { \&some_function },
);

CONTRIBUTING

If you have ideas for additional generator functions and think they would be sensible additions to the main distribution, please open a support ticket to discuss it. To be included in the main distribution, additional generator functions should add few, if any, additional dependencies.

If you would like to release your own distributions in the Data::Fake::* namespace, please follow the conventions of the existing modules:

  • factory function names start with "fake_"

  • export all factory functions by default

  • allow code-references where you would allow a sizing constant

SEE ALSO

  • Data::Faker – similar but object oriented; doesn't do structured data; always loads all plugins

  • Data::Random – generate several random types of data

  • Test::Sims – generator for libraries generating random data

  • Text::Lorem – just fake text

AUTHOR

David Golden <dagolden@cpan.org>

CONTRIBUTORS

  • Chloé Kekoa <50083900+chloekek@users.noreply.github.com>

  • José Joaquín Atria <jjatria@gmail.com>

  • Ricardo Signes <rjbs@users.noreply.github.com>

  • Stuart Skelton <stuarts@broadbean.com>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is Copyright (c) 2015 by David Golden.

This is free software, licensed under:

The Apache License, Version 2.0, January 2004