Question 1

How does Forgery compare to Faker for Ruby?

Accepted Answer

Forgery emphasizes a simple, memorable syntax and easy customization through dictionaries, while Faker offers a broader range of data types and more active community support. Forgery is better for straightforward, dictionary-based data in legacy Rails apps, whereas Faker might be preferable for modern projects needing frequent updates.

Question 2

How to add custom data dictionaries in Forgery?

Accepted Answer

Use the Rails generators to create directories like `lib/forgery/dictionaries`, then define your own data files in YAML or plain text format. This allows you to extend or override built-in categories, such as adding region-specific names or addresses, as explained in the 'Customizable Dictionaries' section.

Question 3

Can Forgery generate fake data for specific countries or regions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it includes methods for addresses, provinces, states, and countries, but the built-in dictionaries are primarily English-centric. For non-English or specific regional data, you'll need to customize the dictionaries by adding your own entries, which requires manual setup.

Question 4

Is Forgery compatible with Rails 6 or 7?

Accepted Answer

The README only mentions Rails 2.x and 3.x, so compatibility with newer versions isn't guaranteed. Developers should test it in their environment or consider alternatives like Faker, which have more up-to-date support for modern Rails applications.

Question 5

What's the best way to seed a database using Forgery in a Rails app?

Accepted Answer

Incorporate Forgery methods into your `db/seeds.rb` file to create realistic sample records. For example, use `User.create(name: Forgery::Name.full_name, email: Forgery::Internet.email_address)` to populate user tables, leveraging its intuitive syntax for quick data generation.

Question 6

Does Forgery support generating data with constraints, like dates within a range?

Accepted Answer

Some methods support basic parameters, such as `formatted_money :min => 100, :max => 1000`, but this functionality is limited. For more complex constraints, you might need to wrap Forgery calls in custom logic or look to other libraries with richer option sets.

Forgery

What is Forgery?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions