Fixtures

Summary

This page explains how to seed the database with initial values using dotkernel/dot-data-fixtures, and how to list or execute fixtures with the Doctrine CLI command.

Details

Fixtures are used to seed the database with initial values and should only be executed ONCE each, after migrating the database.

Seeding the database is done with the help of our custom package dotkernel/dot-data-fixtures built on top of doctrine/data-fixtures. See below on how to use our CLI command for listing and executing Doctrine data fixtures.

Working with fixtures

You can find an example of a fixtures class in src/Core/src/App/src/Fixture/AdminLoader.php.

To list all the available fixtures by order of execution, run:

php ./bin/doctrine fixtures:list

To execute all fixtures, run:

php ./bin/doctrine fixtures:execute

To execute a specific fixture, use its class name, like in this example:

php ./bin/doctrine fixtures:execute --class=AdminLoader

Fixtures can and should be ordered to ensure database consistency. More on ordering fixtures can be found here: https://www.doctrine-project.org/projects/doctrine-data-fixtures/en/latest/how-to/fixture-ordering.html#fixture-ordering

FAQ

Q: How many times should a fixture be executed?

A: Each fixture should only be executed ONCE, and only after the database has been migrated.

Q: How do I see which fixtures are available?

A: Run php ./bin/doctrine fixtures:list to list all available fixtures in their order of execution.

Q: Can I execute a single fixture instead of all of them?

A: Yes, run php ./bin/doctrine fixtures:execute --class=AdminLoader, replacing AdminLoader with the class name of the fixture you want to run.