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Overview

The create_random_data management command generates random pages, snippets, and images for the Wagtail Bakery Demo. This command is particularly useful for performance testing, load testing, and testing the application with large datasets.
This command requires that initial data has already been loaded using load_initial_data, as it depends on existing index pages and reference data.

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Usage

python manage.py create_random_data <page_count> <snippet_count> <image_count>

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Command Arguments

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page_count
integer
required
The number of pages of each type to create. The command will create this many:
  • Bread pages under the Breads index
  • Location pages under the Locations index
  • Blog pages under the Blog index
  • Standard pages (nested under a new top-level standard page)
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snippet_count
integer
required
The number of snippets of each type to create:
  • Countries
  • Bread Ingredients
  • Bread Types
  • People
  • Footer Text
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image_count
integer
required
The number of random images to create in the Wagtail image library. Images are randomly selected from the fixture media directory.

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Examples

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Create Small Dataset

Generate 10 pages, 5 snippets, and 20 images: 
python manage.py create_random_data 10 5 20

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Create Large Dataset for Load Testing

Generate 100 pages, 50 snippets, and 200 images: 
python manage.py create_random_data 100 50 200

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Minimal Data for Development

Generate just a few items: 
python manage.py create_random_data 3 2 5

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What It Creates

The command generates three types of content:
1

Images

Creates random images by selecting from existing fixture media files. Each image gets:
  • Random title (4 words from Lorem Ipsum)
  • Proper dimensions extracted from the source image
  • File size metadata
2

Snippets

Creates random snippets across all types:
  • Countries: Geographic origins for breads
  • Bread Ingredients: Components used in recipes
  • Bread Types: Categories of bread
  • People: Staff members with names and job titles
  • Footer Text: Rich text content blocks
3

Pages

Creates random pages of all types:
  • Bread Pages: Complete with type, origin, and description
  • Location Pages: With addresses and coordinates
  • Blog Pages: With publication dates and subtitles
  • Standard Pages: Nested under a single parent page

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Generated Content Details

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Page Content

All pages are created with realistic content:
  • Titles: 4-word titles generated from Lorem Ipsum
  • Slugs: Automatically generated from titles
  • Introductions: Single paragraph of Lorem Ipsum
  • Body Content: StreamField with 5 paragraphs of rich text
  • Images: Randomly selected from the image library
  • Dates: Current timestamp for blog posts

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Example Output

$ python manage.py create_random_data 5 3 10
Creating images...
Creating countries...
Creating bread ingredients...
Creating bread types...
Creating people...
Creating footer text...
Creating bread pages...
Creating location pages...
Creating blog pages...
Creating standard pages...

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Source Code Location

bakerydemo/base/management/commands/create_random_data.py

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Implementation Details

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Random Data Generation

The command uses Django’s built-in lorem_ipsum utility for realistic text: 
def make_title(self):
    return lorem_ipsum.words(4, common=False)

def fake_stream_field(self):
    return [("paragraph_block", RichText("\n".join(lorem_ipsum.paragraphs(5))))]

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Random Model Selection

When creating pages that need relationships (e.g., bread origin), the command randomly selects existing models: 
def get_random_model(self, model):
    return model.objects.order_by("?").first()

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Image Source

Images are created from files in: 
bakerydemo/base/fixtures/media/original_images/
The command uses the Willow image library to extract dimensions: 
willow_image = WillowImage.open(image_file)
width, height = willow_image.get_size()
Be cautious with large numbers:
  • Creating 1000+ pages can take several minutes
  • Large datasets will increase database size significantly
  • Search index rebuilding may be needed after bulk creation
  • Consider your database and storage capacity

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Performance Considerations

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Database Impact

Each argument multiplies the data created:
  • page_count=10: Creates 40 pages (10 × 4 page types)
  • snippet_count=10: Creates 50 snippets (10 × 5 snippet types)
  • image_count=10: Creates 10 images
Use Casepage_countsnippet_countimage_count
Development5-103-510-20
Load Testing100-50050-100100-200
Stress Testing1000+500+500+

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Prerequisites

This command requires:
  • Initial data loaded via load_initial_data
  • Existing index pages (HomePage, BlogIndexPage, BreadsIndexPage, LocationsIndexPage)
  • At least one image in the fixtures media directory

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Troubleshooting

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”NoneType object has no attribute” errors

This usually means index pages don’t exist. Run load_initial_data first: 
python manage.py load_initial_data
python manage.py create_random_data 10 5 20

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Out of memory errors

Reduce the counts or run the command multiple times with smaller batches: 
python manage.py create_random_data 100 50 100
python manage.py create_random_data 100 50 100

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See Also

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