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faker-ruby logofaker

A library for generating fake data such as names, addresses, and phone numbers.

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Quick Overview

Faker is a Ruby library that generates fake data for various purposes such as testing, seeding databases, or populating prototypes. It provides a wide range of generators for creating realistic-looking names, addresses, phone numbers, and much more across multiple locales.

Pros

  • Extensive variety of data types and categories
  • Support for multiple locales and languages
  • Easy to use and integrate into existing projects
  • Actively maintained with regular updates

Cons

  • Generated data may not always be suitable for production environments
  • Some locales may have limited data compared to others
  • Can potentially slow down tests if overused
  • Requires careful seed management for reproducible results

Code Examples

Creating a fake person:

require 'faker'

name = Faker::Name.name
email = Faker::Internet.email
phone = Faker::PhoneNumber.phone_number

puts "Name: #{name}"
puts "Email: #{email}"
puts "Phone: #{phone}"

Generating a fake address:

address = Faker::Address.full_address
country = Faker::Address.country

puts "Address: #{address}"
puts "Country: #{country}"

Creating fake company data:

company_name = Faker::Company.name
industry = Faker::Company.industry
catch_phrase = Faker::Company.catch_phrase

puts "Company: #{company_name}"
puts "Industry: #{industry}"
puts "Catch Phrase: #{catch_phrase}"

Getting Started

To use Faker in your Ruby project:

  1. Add Faker to your Gemfile:

    gem 'faker'

  2. Run bundle install:

    bundle install

  3. Require Faker in your Ruby file:

    require 'faker'

  4. Start generating fake data:

    puts Faker::Name.name
puts Faker::Internet.email

Competitor Comparisons

ffaker logo

ffaker

1,552

Faker refactored.

Pros of ffaker

  • Generally faster performance due to simplified implementation
  • Smaller memory footprint, beneficial for resource-constrained environments
  • More straightforward codebase, potentially easier to contribute to or modify

Cons of ffaker

  • Less extensive dataset compared to faker, resulting in less variety in generated data
  • Not as actively maintained, with fewer updates and contributions
  • Lacks some advanced features and localization options present in faker

Code Comparison

faker:

require 'faker'

Faker::Name.name
Faker::Internet.email
Faker::Address.street_address

ffaker:

require 'ffaker'

FFaker::Name.name
FFaker::Internet.email
FFaker::Address.street_address

Both libraries offer similar basic functionality, with nearly identical method calls for generating fake data. The main differences lie in the breadth of available methods and the underlying implementation details, rather than the API structure itself.

thoughtbot logo

factory_bot

7,910

A library for setting up Ruby objects as test data.

Pros of Factory Bot

  • Provides a structured way to create test data with associations and inheritance
  • Allows for dynamic attribute generation and sequences
  • Integrates well with testing frameworks like RSpec and Minitest

Cons of Factory Bot

  • Steeper learning curve compared to Faker's simpler API
  • Can potentially slow down tests if overused or not optimized
  • Requires more setup and configuration than Faker

Code Comparison

Faker:

Faker::Name.name
Faker::Internet.email
Faker::Address.street_address

Factory Bot:

FactoryBot.define do
  factory :user do
    name { Faker::Name.name }
    email { Faker::Internet.email }
    address { Faker::Address.street_address }
  end
end

FactoryBot.create(:user)

Summary

Faker focuses on generating random data for various types of information, while Factory Bot provides a more comprehensive solution for creating test objects with associations and complex structures. Faker is simpler to use for basic data generation, while Factory Bot offers more control and integration with testing frameworks. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs of your project and testing requirements.

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Pros of Faker (Python)

  • Supports multiple languages and locales out of the box
  • More extensive provider categories, including specific data types like credit cards and barcodes
  • Easier to extend with custom providers

Cons of Faker (Python)

  • Generally slower performance compared to the Ruby version
  • Less frequent updates and maintenance
  • Slightly more complex API for some operations

Code Comparison

Faker (Python):

from faker import Faker

fake = Faker()
print(fake.name())
print(fake.address())
print(fake.text())

Faker (Ruby):

require 'faker'

puts Faker::Name.name
puts Faker::Address.full_address
puts Faker::Lorem.paragraph

Both libraries provide similar functionality for generating fake data, but their usage differs slightly. The Python version initializes a Faker instance, while the Ruby version uses class methods directly. The Python version offers more flexibility in terms of localization and customization, while the Ruby version tends to have a simpler API for basic operations.

Overall, both libraries are powerful tools for generating fake data, with the choice between them often coming down to the preferred programming language and specific project requirements.

DiUS logo

java-faker

4,697

Brings the popular ruby faker gem to Java

Pros of java-faker

  • Native Java implementation, offering better integration with Java projects
  • Provides locale-specific data generation for various countries
  • Supports both Java and Android development environments

Cons of java-faker

  • Less extensive set of fake data generators compared to faker
  • Less frequent updates and maintenance
  • Smaller community and fewer contributors

Code Comparison

faker (Ruby):

require 'faker'

Faker::Name.name
Faker::Internet.email
Faker::Address.street_address

java-faker (Java):

import com.github.javafaker.Faker;

Faker faker = new Faker();
faker.name().fullName();
faker.internet().emailAddress();
faker.address().streetAddress();

Both libraries offer similar methods for generating fake data, with slight differences in naming conventions and method calls. The Ruby version tends to have a more concise syntax, while the Java version follows Java's object-oriented approach.

faker provides a wider range of data generators and more frequent updates, making it a more comprehensive solution for Ruby projects. java-faker, while less extensive, offers native Java support and is well-suited for Java and Android development.

The choice between these libraries largely depends on the programming language and ecosystem of your project, as well as the specific fake data requirements you have.

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README

logotype a happy-07

Faker

Tests Gem Version Inline docs Test Coverage Maintainability

Faker is a port of Perl's Data::Faker library. It's a library for generating fake data such as names, addresses, and phone numbers.

Faker helps you generate realistic test data, and populate your database with more than a couple of records while you're doing development.

It comes in very handy for taking screenshots (taking screenshots for a personal project) and it was the original impetus for the creation of this gem.

Quick links

In the media

Table of Contents

Notes

  • While Faker generates data at random, returned values are not guaranteed to be unique by default. To explicitly specify when you require unique values, see Ensuring Unique Values. Values also can be deterministic if you use the deterministic feature, see Deterministic Random
  • This is the main branch of Faker and may contain changes that are not yet released. Please refer to the README of your version for the available methods. The list of all versions is available here.

Getting Started

Start by including faker in your Gemfile:

gem 'faker'

Then run bundle install.

Usage

Here are some examples of how to use Faker:

require 'faker'

Faker::Name.name      #=> "Christophe Bartell"

Faker::Address.full_address #=> "5479 William Way, East Sonnyhaven, LA 63637"

Faker::Markdown.emphasis #=> "Quo qui aperiam. Amet corrupti distinctio. Sit quia *dolor.*"

Faker::TvShows::RuPaul.queen #=> "Violet Chachki"

Faker::Alphanumeric.alpha(number: 10) #=> "zlvubkrwga"

Faker::ProgrammingLanguage.name #=> "Ruby"

For a complete list of the generators, see Generators.

A note about the Generators versions

If you get a uninitialized constant Faker::[some_class] error, your version of the gem is behind main.

To make sure that your gem is the one documented here, change the line in your Gemfile to:

gem 'faker', :git => 'https://github.com/faker-ruby/faker.git', :branch => 'main'

The generators have the @faker.version tag on top of their implementation. From the tags, you can identify the version the generator was added:

# Faker::TvShows::ParksAndRec.character

# @faker.version 1.9.0
def character
  fetch('parks_and_rec.characters')
end

Ensuring unique values

To ensure Faker generates unique values, prefix your method call with unique:

Faker::Name.unique.name # This will return a unique name every time it is called

If too many unique values are requested from a generator that has a limited number of potential values, a Faker::UniqueGenerator::RetryLimitExceeded exception may be raised. It is possible to clear the record of unique values that have been returned, for example between tests.

Faker::Name.unique.clear # Clears used values for Faker::Name
Faker::UniqueGenerator.clear # Clears used values for all generators

You also can give some already used values to the unique generator if you have collisions with the generated data (i.e: using FactoryBot with random and manually set values).

# Usage:
# Faker::<generator>.unique.exclude(method, arguments, list)

# Add 'azerty' and 'wxcvbn' to the string generator with 6 char length
Faker::Lorem.unique.exclude :string, [number: 6], %w[azerty wxcvbn]

Deterministic Random

Faker supports seeding of its pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) to provide deterministic output of repeated method calls.

Faker::Config.random = Random.new(42)
Faker::Company.bs #=> "seize collaborative mindshare"
Faker::Company.bs #=> "engage strategic platforms"
Faker::Config.random = Random.new(42)
Faker::Company.bs #=> "seize collaborative mindshare"
Faker::Company.bs #=> "engage strategic platforms"

Faker::Config.random = nil # seeds the PRNG using default entropy sources
Faker::Config.random.seed #=> 185180369676275068918401850258677722187
Faker::Company.bs #=> "cultivate viral synergies"

Customization

You may want Faker to print information depending on your location in the world. To assist you in this, Faker uses the I18n gem to store strings and formats to represent the names and postal codes of the area of your choosing.

Just set the locale you want as shown below, and Faker will take care of the rest.

Faker::Config.locale = 'es'
# or
Faker::Config.locale = :es

To override Faker's locales, and set it on threaded server environments check out the locales README.

Minitest and Faker >= 2.22

To prevent Faker (version >= 2.22) from generating duplicate values when using Minitest, you might need to add the following to the test_helper.rb or rails_helper.rb file:

  Faker::Config.random = Random.new

See Issue #2534 for more details.

Generators

This is the full list of generators available with this gem. If you need details about any of them, make sure to consult the documentation.

NOTE: Some of the generators below aren't released yet. If you want to use them, change the line in your gemfile to:

gem 'faker', :git => 'https://github.com/faker-ruby/faker.git', :branch => 'main'
Default
Blockchain
Books
Fantasy
Travel
Creature
Games
Japanese Media
Movies
Music
Quotes
Sports
Tv Shows
Locations

Contributing

Note: We are not accepting proposals for new generators and locales. The Contributing guide has a few notes about this decision.

Take a look at the Contributing document for instructions on setting up the repo on your machine, opening bug reports, understanding the codebase, and creating a good pull request.

There is a Discord channel to discuss anything regarding improvements or feature requests.

Thank you, contributors!

Versioning

Faker follows Semantic Versioning 2.0 as defined at https://semver.org.

License

This code is free to use under the terms of the MIT license.