Data seeding
Data seeding is the process of populating a database with initial or required records.
Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core
Database seeding is the process of populating a database with an initial, required, or imported set of records.
- How it is used
- Populates empty database tables so API retrieval and subsequent CRUD operations work with real records.
- How deep it goes
- Details file placement, mapping, parsing, validation, duplicate checks, persistence, and endpoint design, but not deployment automation.
- Examples
- Uses a board-game CSV import, SeedController endpoints, duplicate checks, skipped-row counts, and role initialization.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch by implementing an idempotent CSV import endpoint that maps records into EF Core entities.
Read how Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core explains data seeding →
Pro ASP.NET Core 7, Tenth Edition
Seed data is initial data inserted into an application's database to establish required records and state.
- How it is used
- Populates new application and Identity databases with records needed for examples, testing, or administrator access.
- How deep it goes
- Works through migrations, service scopes, empty-set checks, inserts, startup calls, and explicit runs; contrasts built-in seeding with ordinary inserts.
- Examples
- Uses sample products, related suppliers and categories, calculation results, and an administrator account and role.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch with Entity Framework Core inserts and run it at startup or with INITDB=true.
Read how Pro ASP.NET Core 7, Tenth Edition explains data seeding →
Related concepts
- databaseuses · A database is an organized collection of persistent data managed by software for storage, retrieval, querying, and modification.
- Entity Framework Coreuses · Entity Framework Core is a cross-platform object-relational mapping framework for .NET that enables applications to query and persist data through .NET objects and APIs.
- datasetuses · A dataset is an organized collection of related data items, records, or observations treated as a unit for storage, processing, analysis, or computation.
- SaveChangesused by · SaveChanges is an Entity Framework Core DbContext method that persists tracked entity changes to the database.
- configurationuses · A specification of settings, parameters, or component relationships that determines how a system, application, model, or process is structured or operates.
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