VS Code extension
Realistic test data, without leaving your editor
Press Ctrl+Shift+P, pick a generator, and the record lands where you were typing. Or describe the shape your app expects in a .rfd.json file and get the whole nested dataset back — foreign keys lined up, dates in order. 327 generators, no account needed to start.
Install
Search for “Real Fake Data” in the Extensions view, or install it from the command line. Nothing to configure: without an API key the extension uses the rate-limited anonymous lane, so it works the moment it is installed.
code --install-extension przeslijmi.real-fake-dataA value at the cursor
The picker lists every generator the API offers — it is read from the API itself, so a newly shipped generator appears without an extension update. Insertion follows your cursors: with three cursors and a batch of three, each cursor gets its own record. Regenerate Last repeats the call for a different value, which is worth binding to a key.
Ctrl+Shift+P → Real Fake Data: Generate…
pl.pesel → 87061766641
de.vehicle-registration → M AB 1234
any.email → anna.nowak@wp.pl
it.codice-fiscale → RSSMRA85T10A562SPresets and project defaults
A preset pins a generator, its parameters, and the single field you want inserted — so “German plate” gives you M AB 1234 rather than the whole record. Keep them in .vscode/settings.json and they travel with the repo. Generator defaults go further: a cap that applies on every call, however the generator is reached.
// .vscode/settings.json
{
"realFakeData.presets": {
"plate": {
"generator": "de/vehicle-registration",
"params": { "district": "M" },
"extract": "value"
}
},
"realFakeData.generatorDefaults": {
"any.offering": { "params": { "countries": "pl,de,fr" } }
}
}A whole dataset
You own the field names and the nesting; anything starting with $ is filled in. Two fields reading from one alias describe the same person. Press Reseed and the data opens beside the file — edit, reseed, look again. Reseed Preview caps every count so you can check the structure for a fraction of the cost.
// users.rfd.json
{
"$generators": {
"author": { "generator": "any.person-name" }
},
"id": "$generator.any.uuid.value",
"firstName": "$alias.author.name",
"lastName": "$alias.author.surname",
"status": "active",
"posts": {
"$count": 2,
"id": "$generator.any.nanoid.value",
"publishedAt": "$date.-30d~+0d.day"
}
}Commands
Every command is bindable. The four direct generators skip the picker entirely, and the compose commands work on any .rfd.json file.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Generate… | Pick from every generator the API offers. |
| Generate UUID / Person / Email / Lorem Ipsum | The common cases, no picker. |
| Run Preset… | Run one of your named presets. |
| Regenerate Last | Repeat the last call for a different value. |
| Save Last Generation as Preset… | Turn what you just generated into a preset. |
| Reseed | Fill a .rfd.json schema and show the data beside it. |
| Reseed Preview (count ≤ 2) | Same, with every count capped — check the shape cheaply. |
| New Schema File | Start from a working example. |
| Set API Key… | Store a key in VS Code’s secret storage. |
Ready to stop inventing test data by hand?
Install the extension and start immediately — no account required. Add an API key when you want the calls on your own monthly tokens.