README

A small CodeIgniter seeder package for creating repeatable database seed scripts that can be listed and executed from the command line.

Language

en-us / zh-tw

Why This Package?

CodeIgniter does not include a Laravel-style database seeder workflow by default. This package provides a lightweight seeder controller and base class so existing CodeIgniter applications can seed development data, lookup tables, roles, settings, and demo records with predictable CLI commands.

It is intentionally small: seed files are plain PHP classes, database writes use CodeIgniter's existing database layer, and the runner can be added to an existing project with minimal setup.

Features

Add database seeders to a CodeIgniter project without building a custom runner.
Run all seeders or execute one specific seeder by class name.
Control execution order with a simple $priority property.
List available seeders and their priority from the CLI.
Use the normal CodeIgniter instance inside seeders through $this->CI.
Restrict browser access to local, private network, or development environments.

Installation

composer require fishingboy/codeigniter-seeder

Quick Start

1. Create the seeder controller

Create application/controllers/Seeder.php:

<?php

use fishingboy\ci_seeder\CI_Seeder_Controller;

class Seeder extends CI_Seeder_Controller
{
}

2. Create the seeders directory

Create this directory in your CodeIgniter application:

application/seeders

3. Create a sample seeder

Create application/seeders/Sample_seeder.php:

<?php

use fishingboy\ci_seeder\CI_Seeder_base;

class Sample_seeder extends CI_Seeder_base
{
    /**
     * Higher priority seeders run first.
     *
     * @var integer
     */
    public $priority = 100;

    /**
     * Insert seed data.
     *
     * @return integer Number of inserted rows.
     */
    public function run()
    {
        $this->CI->db->insert("users", [
            'name' => 'fishingboy',
        ]);

        return 1;
    }
}

4. Run the seeder

php index.php seeder run Sample_seeder

Example output:

Seed [Sample_seeder] complete, carete 1 rows.

Commands

php index.php seeder                   # Show help and seeder list
php index.php seeder run               # Execute all seeders
php index.php seeder run {seeder_name} # Execute one seeder
php index.php seeder ls                # List seeder status

Example list output:

php index.php seeder run Sample_seeder                     (priority: 100)

Real World Example

Use seeders for stable data that must exist across local, staging, or test environments.

<?php

use fishingboy\ci_seeder\CI_Seeder_base;

class Role_seeder extends CI_Seeder_base
{
    public $priority = 200;

    public function run()
    {
        $roles = [
            ['name' => 'admin'],
            ['name' => 'editor'],
            ['name' => 'member'],
        ];

        foreach ($roles as $role) {
            $this->CI->db->insert('roles', $role);
        }

        return count($roles);
    }
}

Run it with:

php index.php seeder run Role_seeder

Seeder Naming Rules

Seeder files must be placed in application/seeders.
Seeder class names must end with _seeder.
Seeder file names must match the class name, for example Sample_seeder.php.
Seeders should extend fishingboy\ci_seeder\CI_Seeder_base.
Higher $priority values run before lower values.

Comparison

Approach	Best for	Trade-off
Codeigniter-Seeder	Repeatable seed data in existing CodeIgniter projects	Requires adding a seeder controller
CodeIgniter migrations	Schema changes and database versioning	Not focused on data seeding
One-off SQL files	Manual imports or production handoff	Harder to reuse, order, and review in PHP code
Custom CLI scripts	Highly specific project workflows	More code to maintain

FAQ

Does this package replace CodeIgniter migrations?

No. Migrations are better for schema changes. This package is for inserting or preparing data such as users, roles, permissions, settings, lookup tables, and demo records.

Can I run only one seeder?

Yes. Pass the seeder class name:

php index.php seeder run Sample_seeder

How is execution order controlled?

Set the public $priority property on each seeder. Higher values run first.

Can seeders use CodeIgniter models, libraries, and the database object?

Yes. Seeders have access to the CodeIgniter instance through $this->CI, so you can use $this->CI->db, load models, or call existing application services.

Is browser access allowed?

The controller is intended for CLI usage. Browser access is limited to local, private network, or development environments by the controller.

Keywords

CodeIgniter seeder, CodeIgniter database seeding, PHP seeder, CodeIgniter seed data, CodeIgniter CLI seeder, database fixtures, PHP database seed script.

License

CodeIgniter-Seeder is open-sourced software licensed under the MIT license.

fishingboy / codeigniter-seeder

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