Database Seeding¶

Seeding is the process of populating the database with initial data required for the application to function, or dummy data for development purposes.

The Seed Script¶

Atlas ERP uses a Prisma seed script located at packages/database/prisma/seed.ts.

This script is automatically executed when you run:

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pnpm db:seed

What does the seed script do?¶

By default, the seed script is designed to be idempotent (safe to run multiple times without creating duplicate errors). It typically handles:

1. System Roles & Permissions: Creates default templates for 'Admin', 'Manager', 'Employee', etc.
2. Default Workspace: Creates a default organization if none exists.
3. Admin User: Creates an initial super-admin user so you can log into the system immediately after setup.
4. Master Data: In some modules like HR or Finance, it might seed standard Leave Types (Sick, Casual) or a default Chart of Accounts template.

Example Seed Logic¶

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// packages/database/prisma/seed.ts
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
const prisma = new PrismaClient();

async function main() {
  console.log('Start seeding...');

  // 1. Create Default Workspace
  const workspace = await prisma.workspace.upsert({
    where: { id: 'default-workspace' },
    update: {},
    create: {
      id: 'default-workspace',
      name: 'Acme Corporation',
    },
  });

  // 2. Create Admin Role
  const adminRole = await prisma.role.upsert({
    where: { name_workspaceId: { name: 'Admin', workspaceId: workspace.id } },
    update: {},
    create: {
      name: 'Admin',
      description: 'Full system access',
      workspaceId: workspace.id,
    },
  });

  // ... (Create user and attach role)

  console.log('Seeding finished.');
}

main()
  .catch((e) => {
    console.error(e);
    process.exit(1);
  })
  .finally(async () => {
    await prisma.$disconnect();
  });

Module-Specific Seeds¶

For complex modules, we might have separate seed scripts (e.g., apps/api/src/hr/seed-india.ts found in the codebase). These can be run individually to populate specific localizations or complex master data setups that aren't required by every tenant.

Seeding in Production¶

Be very careful when running seed scripts in production. Our seed scripts use upsert extensively to ensure they don't overwrite existing user-modified data, but it is generally recommended to only run the seed script during the initial deployment of a new environment.