SeedDaten

SeedDaten, often referred to as seed data, denotes a predefined set of data used to initialize a database, application state, or data store in development, testing, and demonstration environments. The goal is to provide realistic but non-production data that exercises typical workflows without exposing production secrets.

Seed data is usually stable across runs, idempotent, and easily reproducible. It can include core entities such as users, products, categories, orders, or configuration settings. Data formats vary and may include SQL inserts, JSON, CSV, or dedicated seed scripts. In many development ecosystems, seeds complement migrations by establishing baseline content.

Creation and maintenance of SeedDaten involve handcrafted records to reflect specific scenarios or generated data to produce varied items. Seed data is commonly version-controlled alongside application code. Idempotent seeds ensure multiple executions do not create duplicates; seeds may be parameterized to vary by environment, such as development or staging, to reflect different workloads or configurations.

Privacy and governance considerations are important for SeedDaten. Seeds should avoid using real production data or sensitive information. Anonymization and synthetic data practices are often employed, and access to seed data is typically restricted. If production data is ever used in any environment, masking or selective masking is required to prevent leakage of sensitive information.

Relation to related concepts: Seed data is distinct from test data or fixtures, though overlaps exist. It complements development scripts, database migrations, and automated tests by providing a stable, realistic starting point for application functionality and user interactions.