Generators

View raw .md

Scaffold migrations, seeders and factories with make:migration, make:seeder and make:factory, and wire the package into an app with local_storage:install.

On this page

Quick Reference#

Command	Writes	Notes
`make:migration <name>`	`lib/database/migrations/m_<YYYYMMDDHHMMSS>_<snake_name>.dart`	`--create=<table>` or `--table=<table>`.
`make:seeder <name>`	`lib/database/seeders/<snake_name>_seeder.dart`	Adds the `Seeder` suffix.
`make:factory <name>`	`lib/database/factories/<snake_name>_factory.dart`	Adds the `Factory` suffix.
`local_storage:install`	Provider, config factory and `web/sqlite3.wasm`	Chained by `plugin:install`.

Run them with dart run magic:dowel <command>. Each generator takes --force to overwrite an existing file. They load their stubs from this package, so flutter pub get must have run.

make:migration#

bash

dart run magic:dowel make:migration create_posts_table --create=posts
dart run magic:dowel make:migration add_slug_to_posts --table=posts
dart run magic:dowel make:migration CreateTagsTable --create=tags

The file name carries a 14-digit timestamp so files sort in run order. The class is the PascalCase of the name without the timestamp, and the migration's name is <timestamp>_<snake_name>, which is the ledger key.

Option	Effect
`--create=<table>`, `-c`	Uses the stub with a `Schema.create` body, `id()` and `timestamps()`; the table name is the value.
`--table=<table>`, `-t`	Writes the skeleton: an empty `up()` and a `down()` that throws `UnsupportedError('<name> has no rollback yet.')`. The skeleton has no table placeholder, so add the `Schema.table` call yourself and replace the throw with the reverse statements.
neither	The same skeleton.

A name with a .. or . segment, an empty segment (a leading, trailing or doubled /), a backslash or a colon is refused with exit code 1 before anything is written, by all three generators; a nested name such as admin/create_reports_table stays inside the default directory.

The generator does not register the migration: add it to your Migrator().run([...]) list, see Migrations.

make:seeder#

bash

dart run magic:dowel make:seeder PostSeeder
dart run magic:dowel make:seeder Post

Both write lib/database/seeders/post_seeder.dart with a PostSeeder class holding an empty run() and a comment showing a factory call. A nested name such as blog/Post keeps its directory.

make:factory#

bash

dart run magic:dowel make:factory Post
dart run magic:dowel make:factory PostFactory

Both write lib/database/factories/post_factory.dart. The stub types the factory as Factory<Model> and throws from newInstance() until you import your model and replace the TODO lines, so the file does not compile into a working factory before you edit it. A commented extension at the bottom shows where factory states go, see Seeding.

local_storage:install#

bash

dart run magic:dowel local_storage:install
dart run magic:dowel local_storage:install --dry-run

It reads the package's install.yaml, adds DatabaseServiceProvider to lib/config/app.dart and () => databaseConfig to lib/main.dart, then downloads web/sqlite3.wasm when the project has a web/ folder and none exists yet. plugin:install magic_local_storage chains it for you.

Flag	Effect
`--dry-run`	Prints the staged edits, writes nothing and skips the download.
`--force`	Overwrites files that differ from what the installer last wrote.
`--non-interactive`	Skips prompts and uses defaults.
`--no-bootstrap`	Skips auto-running the bootstrap command.

It exits 1 with a hint when flutter pub get has not run, and when a file conflicts without --force. A failed wasm download is reported with the curl line to run by hand and does not fail the install.

With make:model and make:resource#

Core's make:model and make:resource do not ship database generators of their own. They look up make:migration, make:factory and make:seeder in the dowel registry by name, so the plugin's commands appear once it is installed:

bash

dart run magic:dowel make:model Post -mfs
dart run magic:dowel make:model Post --all

-m runs make:migration create_posts_table --create=posts, -f runs make:factory Post and -s runs make:seeder Post; --all runs all three together with the policy, repository and controller. Without this package the model is still written, and each missing generator prints a hint naming magic_local_storage and the plugin:install command, then the command carries on.

Gotchas#

Mistake	Fix
`make:migration` fails to find a stub	Run `flutter pub get`; the stubs are resolved through `.dart_tool/package_config.json`.
A new migration that never runs	Add it to the `Migrator().run` list; there is no discovery.
A generated factory that throws `UnimplementedError`	Import your model and implement `newInstance()` and `newFactory()`.
Renaming a generated migration file after release	Keep the `name` getter; the ledger keys on it, not on the file name.
`make:model -m` printing a hint	Add `magic_local_storage` and run `plugin:install`.

Installation: what plugin:install changes.
Migrations: the migration the generator writes.
Seeding: seeders and factories.

Quick Reference#

make:migration#

make:seeder#

make:factory#

local_storage:install#

With make:model and make:resource#

Gotchas#

Related Documentation#