Generating Test Data to a Database

PowerDesigner can generate sample data to your database tables to verify performance or to help in estimating the amount of memory that the database will require. You can generate test data for some or all of the tables in your PDM to an empty or existing database.

1. [optional] Specify one or more test data profiles to define the range of data to be generated or to draw data from a file or other database (see Populating Columns with Test Data). If you do not define profiles, PowerDesigner will generate random data that is appropriate to each data type.
   Note: The format in which date and time data is generated with or without profiles can be controlled by DBMS items in the Script/Sql/Format category (see Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner > DBMS Definition Files > Script/Sql Category.
2. Select Database > Generate Test Data to open the Test Data Generation dialog.
3. On the General tab, enter or select the appropriate parameters:

   Option	Description
   Directory	Specifies the directory in which the file will be saved.
   File name	Specifies the name of the test data file to generate. Select the One file only checkbox to specify that a single file should be generated.
   Generation type	Specifies how the test data will be generated: Script generation Direct generation – to a live database connection. Note: As triggers are not needed in this context and can block insertions and considerably increase the time required to generate the database, we recommend that you do not implement triggers or remove them from your test database. Data file – as a set of values in a file.
   Commit mode	Specifies when the data will be committed: Auto - during script generation At end - after script generation By packet - at defined intervals during script generation
   Data file format	Specifies the format when generating a data file: CSV – comma-separated values Custom delimiter – specify a custom delimiter
   Delete old data	Deletes existing data before generating new data.
   Check model	Checks the PDM before generating the test database or script, and stops generation if an error is found.
   Automatic archive	Creates an archive of any previous test data.
   Default number of rows	Specifies the default number of rows to generate for tables. This number can be overrridden for individual tables on the Number of Rows tab.
   Default number/ character/ date profile	Specifies the default test data profiles (see Populating Columns with Test Data) to use to generate data. We recommend that you create test data profiles to accurately model your data and associate them with each of your columns and domains as appropriate, but if you have not done so, then these default profiles are used.

4. [optional] Click the Number of Rows tab to change the number of rows to be generated for each table.
   By default, PowerDesigner generates the number of rows that is specified in the Number property in the table property sheet (see Table Properties) or, if no number is specified, the default number specified on the General tab of this Test Data Generation dialog.
5. [optional] Click the Format tab and modify the script formatting options as appropriate:

   Option	Result of selection
   Owner prefix	Specifies that an owner prefix is added.
   Titles	Specifies that each section of the script includes commentary in the form of titles.
   Encoding	Specifies the encoding format to use for test data generation. You should select the encoding format that supports the language used in your model and the database encoding format.
   Character case	Specifies the character case to use. The following settings are available: Upper - all uppercase characters Lower - all lowercase characters Mixed - both uppercase and lowercase characters
   No accent	Non-accented characters replace accented characters in script.

6. [optional] Click the Selection tab and select which tables you want to generate test data for. By default all tables are selected.
7. Click OK to start the generation.

   If you are generating test data to a live database connection, then the Connect to a Data Source dialog box opens. Select a data source, and then click Connect. If you are generating a test data script, then a Result dialog box asks you if you want to Edit or Close the newly generated file.

   A message in the Output window indicates that the test data generation is completed.