Foundry

Foundry makes creating fixtures data fun again, via an expressive, auto-completable, on-demand fixtures system with Symfony and Doctrine:

$post = PostFactory::new() // Create the factory for Post objects
    ->published()          // Make the post in a "published" state
    ->create([             // create & persist the Post object
        'slug' => 'post-a' // This Post object only requires the slug field - all other fields are random data
    ])
;

The factories can be used inside DoctrineFixturesBundle to load fixtures or inside your tests, where it has even more features.

Want to watch a screencast 🎥 about it? Check out https://symfonycasts.com/foundry

Documentation

1. Installation
2. Same Entities used in these Docs
3. Model Factories
   1. Generate
   2. Using your Factory
   3. Reusable Model Factory "States"
   4. Attributes
   5. Faker
   6. Events / Hooks
   7. Initialization
   8. Instantiation
   9. Immutable
   10. Doctrine Relationships
   11. Factories as Services
   12. Anonymous Factories
   13. Without Persisting
4. Using with DoctrineFixturesBundle
5. Using in your Tests
   1. Enable Foundry in your TestCase
   2. Object Proxy
      1. Force Setting
      2. Auto-Refresh
   3. Repository Proxy
   4. Assertions
   5. Global State
   6. PHPUnit Data Providers
   7. Performance
      1. DAMADoctrineTestBundle
      2. Miscellaneous
   8. Non-Kernel Test
   9. Test-Only Configuration
   10. Using without the Bundle
6. Stories
   1. Stories as Services
   2. Story State
7. Bundle Configuration
8. Credit

Installation

$ composer require zenstruck/foundry --dev

To use the make:* commands from this bundle, ensure Symfony MakerBundle is installed.

If not using Symfony Flex, be sure to enable the bundle in your test/dev environments.

Same Entities used in these Docs

For the remainder of the documentation, the following sample entities will be used:

namespace App\Entity;

use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;

/**
 * @ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="App\Repository\CategoryRepository")
 */
class Category
{
    /**
     * @ORM\Id()
     * @ORM\GeneratedValue()
     * @ORM\Column(type="integer")
     */
    private $id;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="string", length=255)
     */
    private $name;

    public function __construct(string $name)
    {
        $this->name = $name;
    }

    // ... getters/setters
}

namespace App\Entity;

use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;

/**
 * @ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="App\Repository\PostRepository")
 */
class Post
{
    /**
     * @ORM\Id()
     * @ORM\GeneratedValue()
     * @ORM\Column(type="integer")
     */
    private $id;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="string", length=255)
     */
    private $title;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="text", nullable=true)
     */
    private $body;
    
    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="datetime")
     */
    private $createdAt;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="datetime", nullable=true)
     */
    private $publishedAt;

    /**
     * @ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity=Category::class)
     * @ORM\JoinColumn
     */
    private $category;

    public function __construct(string $title)
    {
        $this->title = $title;
        $this->createdAt = new \DateTime('now');
    }

    // ... getters/setters
}

Model Factories

The nicest way to use Foundry is to generate one factory class per entity. You can skip this and use anonymous factories, but model factories give you IDE auto-completion and access to other useful features.

Generate

Create a model factory for one of your entities with the maker command:

$ bin/console make:factory

> Entity class to create a factory for:
> Post

created: src/Factory/PostFactory.php

Next: Open your new factory and set default values/states.

This command will generate a PostFactory class that looks like this:

// src/Factory/PostFactory.php

namespace App\Factory;

use App\Entity\Post;
use App\Repository\PostRepository;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\RepositoryProxy;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\ModelFactory;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\Proxy;

/**
 * @method static Post|Proxy createOne(array $attributes = [])
 * @method static Post[]|Proxy[] createMany(int $number, $attributes = [])
 * @method static Post|Proxy find($criteria)
 * @method static Post|Proxy findOrCreate(array $attributes)
 * @method static Post|Proxy first(string $sortedField = 'id')
 * @method static Post|Proxy last(string $sortedField = 'id')
 * @method static Post|Proxy random(array $attributes = [])
 * @method static Post|Proxy randomOrCreate(array $attributes = []))
 * @method static Post[]|Proxy[] all()
 * @method static Post[]|Proxy[] findBy(array $attributes)
 * @method static Post[]|Proxy[] randomSet(int $number, array $attributes = []))
 * @method static Post[]|Proxy[] randomRange(int $min, int $max, array $attributes = []))
 * @method static PostRepository|RepositoryProxy repository()
 * @method Post|Proxy create($attributes = [])
 */
final class PostFactory extends ModelFactory
{
    public function __construct()
    {
        parent::__construct();

        // TODO inject services if required (https://github.com/zenstruck/foundry#factories-as-services)
    }

    protected function getDefaults(): array
    {
        return [
            // TODO add your default values here (https://github.com/zenstruck/foundry#model-factories)
        ];
    }

    protected function initialize(): self
    {
        // see https://github.com/zenstruck/foundry#initialization
        return $this
            // ->afterInstantiate(function(Post $post) {})
        ;
    }

    protected static function getClass(): string
    {
        return Post::class;
    }
}

TIP: Using make:factory --test will generate the factory in tests/Factory!

In the getDefaults(), you can return an array of all default values that any new object should have. Faker is available to easily get random data:

protected function getDefaults(): array
{
    return [
        // Symfony's property-access component is used to populate the properties
        // this means that setTitle() will be called or you can have a $title constructor argument
        'title' => self::faker()->unique()->sentence,
        'body' => self::faker()->sentence,
    ];
}

TIP: It is best to have getDefaults() return the attributes to persist a valid object (all non-nullable fields).

Using your Factory

use App\Factory\PostFactory;

// create/persist Post with random data from `getDefaults()`
PostFactory::createOne();

// or provide values for some properties (others will be random)
PostFactory::createOne(['title' => 'My Title']);

// createOne() returns the persisted Post object wrapped in a Proxy object
$post = PostFactory::createOne();

// the "Proxy" magically calls the underlying Post methods and is type-hinted to "Post"
$title = $post->getTitle(); // getTitle() can be autocompleted by your IDE!

// if you need the actual Post object, use ->object()
$realPost = $post->object();

// create/persist 5 Posts with random data from getDefaults()
PostFactory::createMany(5); // returns Post[]|Proxy[]
PostFactory::createMany(5, ['title' => 'My Title']);

// find a persisted object for the given attributes, if not found, create with the attributes
PostFactory::findOrCreate(['title' => 'My Title']); // returns Post|Proxy

PostFactory::first(); // get the first object (assumes an auto-incremented "id" column)
PostFactory::first('createdAt'); // assuming "createdAt" is a datetime column, this will return latest object
PostFactory::last(); // get the last object (assumes an auto-incremented "id" column)
PostFactory::last('createdAt'); // assuming "createdAt" is a datetime column, this will return oldest object

PostFactory::truncate(); // empty the database table

PostFactory::count(); // the number of persisted Posts

PostFactory::all(); // Post[]|Proxy[] all the persisted Posts

PostFactory::findBy(['author' => 'kevin']); // Post[]|Proxy[] matching the filter

$post = PostFactory::find(5); // Post|Proxy with the id of 5
$post = PostFactory::find(['title' => 'My First Post']); // Post|Proxy matching the filter

// get a random object that has been persisted
$post = PostFactory::random(); // returns Post|Proxy
$post = PostFactory::random(['author' => 'kevin']); // filter by the passed attributes

// or automatically persist a new random object if none exists
$post = PostFactory::randomOrCreate();
$post = PostFactory::randomOrCreate(['author' => 'kevin']); // filter by or create with the passed attributes

// get a random set of objects that have been persisted
$posts = PostFactory::randomSet(4); // array containing 4 "Post|Proxy" objects
$posts = PostFactory::randomSet(4, ['author' => 'kevin']); // filter by the passed attributes

// random range of persisted objects
$posts = PostFactory::randomRange(0, 5); // array containing 0-5 "Post|Proxy" objects
$posts = PostFactory::randomRange(0, 5, ['author' => 'kevin']); // filter by the passed attributes

Reusable Model Factory "States"

You can add any methods you want to your model factories (i.e. static methods that create an object in a certain way) but you can also add states:

namespace App\Factory;

use App\Entity\Post;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\ModelFactory;

final class PostFactory extends ModelFactory
{
    // ...

    public function published(): self
    {
        // call setPublishedAt() and pass a random DateTime
        return $this->addState(['published_at' => self::faker()->dateTime]);
    }

    public function unpublished(): self
    {
        return $this->addState(['published_at' => null]);
    }

    public function withViewCount(int $count = null): self
    {
        return $this->addState(function () use ($count) {
            return ['view_count' => $count ?? self::faker()->numberBetween(0, 10000)];
        });
    }
}

You can use states to make your tests very explicit to improve readability:

// never use the constructor (i.e. "new PostFactory()"), but use the
// "new()" method. After defining the states, call "create()" to create
// and persist the model.
$post = PostFactory::new()->unpublished()->create();
$post = PostFactory::new()->withViewCount(3)->create();

// combine multiple states
$post = PostFactory::new()
    ->unpublished()
    ->withViewCount(10)
    ->create()
;

// states that don't require arguments can be added as strings to PostFactory::new()
$post = PostFactory::new('published', 'withViewCount')->create();

Attributes

The attributes used to instantiate the object can be added several ways. Attributes can be an array, or a callable that returns an array. Using a callable ensures random data as the callable is run for each object separately during instantiation.

use App\Entity\Category;
use App\Entity\Post;
use App\Factory\CategoryFactory;
use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use function Zenstruck\Foundry\faker;

// The first argument to "new()" allows you to overwrite the default
// values that are defined in the `PostFactory::getDefaults()`
$posts = PostFactory::new(['title' => 'Post A'])
    ->withAttributes([
        'body' => 'Post Body...',

        // CategoryFactory will be used to create a new Category for each Post
        'category' => CategoryFactory::new(['name' => 'php']), 
    ])
    ->withAttributes([
        // Proxies are automatically converted to their wrapped object
        'category' => CategoryFactory::createOne(),
    ])
    ->withAttributes(function() { return ['createdAt' => faker()->dateTime]; }) // see faker section below

    // create "2" Post's
    ->many(2)->create(['title' => 'Different Title'])
;

$post[0]->getTitle(); // "Different Title"
$post[0]->getBody(); // "Post Body..."
$post[0]->getCategory(); // random Category
$post[0]->getPublishedAt(); // \DateTime('last week')
$post[0]->getCreatedAt(); // random \DateTime

$post[1]->getTitle(); // "Different Title"
$post[1]->getBody(); // "Post Body..."
$post[1]->getCategory(); // random Category (different than above)
$post[1]->getPublishedAt(); // \DateTime('last week')
$post[1]->getCreatedAt(); // random \DateTime (different than above)

Faker

This library provides a wrapper for FakerPHP/faker to help with generating random data for your factories:

use Zenstruck\Foundry\Factory;
use function Zenstruck\Foundry\faker;

Factory::faker()->name; // random name

// alternatively, use the helper function
faker()->email; // random email

NOTE: You can register your own Faker\Generator:

# config/packages/dev/zenstruck_foundry.yaml (see Bundle Configuration section about sharing this in the test environment)
zenstruck_foundry:
    faker:
        locale: fr_FR # set the locale
        # or
        service: my_faker # use your own instance of Faker\Generator for complete control

Events / Hooks

The following events can be added to factories. Multiple event callbacks can be added, they are run in the order they were added.

use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\Proxy;

PostFactory::new()
    ->beforeInstantiate(function(array $attributes): array {
        // $attributes is what will be used to instantiate the object, manipulate as required
        $attributes['title'] = 'Different title';

        return $attributes; // must return the final $attributes
    })
    ->afterInstantiate(function(Post $object, array $attributes): void {
        // $object is the instantiated object
        // $attributes contains the attributes used to instantiate the object and any extras
    })
    ->afterPersist(function(Proxy $object, array $attributes) {
        /* @var Post $object */
        // this event is only called if the object was persisted
        // $proxy is a Proxy wrapping the persisted object
        // $attributes contains the attributes used to instantiate the object and any extras
    })

    // if the first argument is type-hinted as the object, it will be passed to the closure (and not the proxy)
    ->afterPersist(function(Post $object, array $attributes) {
        // this event is only called if the object was persisted
        // $object is the persisted Post object
        // $attributes contains the attributes used to instantiate the object and any extras
    })
    
    // multiple events are allowed
    ->beforeInstantiate(function($attributes) { return $attributes; })
    ->afterInstantiate(function() {})
    ->afterPersist(function() {})
;

You can also add hooks directly in your model factory class:

protected function initialize(): self
{
    return $this
        ->beforePersist(function() {})
    ;
}

Read Initialization to learn more about the initialize() method.

Initialization

You can override your model factory's initialize() method to add default state/logic:

namespace App\Factory;

use App\Entity\Post;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\ModelFactory;

final class PostFactory extends ModelFactory
{
    // ...

    protected function initialize(): self
    {
        return $this
            ->published() // published by default
            ->instantiateWith(function (array $attributes) {
                return new Post(); // custom instantiation for this factory
            })
            ->afterPersist(function () {}) // default event for this factory
        ; 
    }
}

NOTE: Be sure to chain the states/hooks off of $this because factories are Immutable.

Instantiation

By default, objects are instantiated in the normal fashion, by using the object's constructor. Attributes that match constructor arguments are used. Remaining attributes are set to the object using Symfony's PropertyAccess component (setters/public properties). Any extra attributes cause an exception to be thrown.

You can customize the instantiator in several ways:

use App\Entity\Post;
use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\Instantiator;

// set the instantiator for the current factory
PostFactory::new()
    // instantiate the object without calling the constructor
    ->instantiateWith((new Instantiator())->withoutConstructor())

    // "foo" and "bar" attributes are ignored when instantiating
    ->instantiateWith((new Instantiator())->allowExtraAttributes(['foo', 'bar']))

    // all extra attributes are ignored when instantiating
    ->instantiateWith((new Instantiator())->allowExtraAttributes())

    // force set "title" and "body" when instantiating
    ->instantiateWith((new Instantiator())->alwaysForceProperties(['title', 'body']))

    // never use setters, always "force set" properties (even private/protected, does not use setter)
    ->instantiateWith((new Instantiator())->alwaysForceProperties())

    // can combine the different "modes"
    ->instantiateWith((new Instantiator())->withoutConstructor()->allowExtraAttributes()->alwaysForceProperties())

    // the instantiator is just a callable, you can provide your own
    ->instantiateWith(function(array $attibutes, string $class): object {
        return new Post(); // ... your own logic
    })
;

You can customize the instantiator globally for all your factories (can still be overruled by factory instance instantiators):

# config/packages/dev/zenstruck_foundry.yaml (see Bundle Configuration section about sharing this in the test environment)
zenstruck_foundry:
    instantiator:
        without_constructor: true # always instantiate objects without calling the constructor
        allow_extra_attributes: true # always ignore extra attributes
        always_force_properties: true # always "force set" properties
        # or
        service: my_instantiator # your own invokable service for complete control

Immutable

Factory's are immutable:

use App\Factory\PostFactory;

$factory = PostFactory::new();
$factory1 = $factory->withAttributes([]); // returns a new PostFactory object
$factory2 = $factory->instantiateWith(function () {}); // returns a new PostFactory object
$factory3 = $factory->beforeInstantiate(function () {}); // returns a new PostFactory object
$factory4 = $factory->afterInstantiate(function () {}); // returns a new PostFactory object
$factory5 = $factory->afterPersist(function () {}); // returns a new PostFactory object

Doctrine Relationships

Assuming your entites follow the best practices for Doctrine Relationships and you are using the default instantiator, Foundry just works with doctrine relationships. There are some nuances with the different relationships and how entities are created. The following tries to document these for each relationship type.

Many-to-One

The following assumes the Comment entity has a many-to-one relationship with Post:

use App\Factory\CommentFactory;
use App\Factory\PostFactory;

// Example 1: pre-create Post and attach to Comment
$post = PostFactory::createOne(); // instance of Proxy

CommentFactory::createOne(['post' => $post]);
CommentFactory::createOne(['post' => $post->object()]); // functionally the same as above

// Example 2: pre-create Posts and choose a random one
PostFactory::createMany(5); // create 5 Posts

CommentFactory::createOne(['post' => PostFactory::random()]);

// or create many, each with a different random Post
CommentFactory::createMany(
    5, // create 5 comments
    function() { // note the callback - this ensures that each of the 5 comments has a different Post
        return ['post' => PostFactory::random()]; // each comment set to a random Post from those already in the database
    }
);

// Example 3: create a separate Post for each Comment
CommentFactory::createMany(5, [
    // this attribute is an instance of PostFactory that is created separately for each Comment created
    'post' => PostFactory::new(),
]);

// Example 4: create multiple Comments with the same Post
CommentFactory::createMany(5, [
    'post' => PostFactory::createOne(), // note the "createOne()" here
]);

TIP 1: It is recommended that the only relationship you define in ModelFactory::getDefaults() is non-null Many-to-One's.

TIP 2: It is also recommended that your ModelFactory::getDefaults() return a Factory and not the created entity:

protected function getDefaults(): array
{
    return [
        // RECOMMENDED
        'post' => PostFactory::new(),
        'post' => PostFactory::new()->published(),

        // NOT RECOMMENDED - will potentially result in extra unintended Posts
        'post' => PostFactory::createOne(), 
        'post' => PostFactory::new()->published()->create(),
    ];
}

One-to-Many

The following assumes the Post entity has a one-to-many relationship with Comment:

use App\Factory\CommentFactory;
use App\Factory\PostFactory;

// Example 1: Create a Post with 6 Comments
PostFactory::createOne(['comments' => CommentFactory::new()->many(6)]);

// Example 2: Create 6 Posts each with 4 Comments (24 Comments total)
PostFactory::createMany(6, ['comments' => CommentFactory::new()->many(4)]);

// Example 3: Create 6 Posts each with between 0 and 10 Comments
PostFactory::createMany(6, ['comments' => CommentFactory::new()->many(0, 10)]);

Many-to-Many

The following assumes the Post entity has a many-to-many relationship with Tag:

use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use App\Factory\TagFactory;

// Example 1: pre-create Tags and attach to Post
$tags = TagFactory::createMany(3);

PostFactory::createOne(['tags' => $tags]);

// Example 2: pre-create Tags and choose a random set
TagFactory::createMany(10);

PostFactory::new()
    ->many(5) // create 5 posts
    ->create(function() { // note the callback - this ensures that each of the 5 posts has a different random set
        return ['tags' => TagFactory::randomSet(2)]; // each post uses 2 random tags from those already in the database
    })
;

// Example 3: pre-create Tags and choose a random range
TagFactory::createMany(10);

PostFactory::new()
    ->many(5) // create 5 posts
    ->create(function() { // note the callback - this ensures that each of the 5 posts has a different random range
        return ['tags' => TagFactory::randomRange(0, 5)]; // each post uses between 0 and 5 random tags from those already in the database
    })
;

// Example 4: create 3 Posts each with 3 unique Tags
PostFactory::createMany(3, ['tags' => TagFactory::new()->many(3)]);

// Example 5: create 3 Posts each with between 0 and 3 unique Tags
PostFactory::createMany(3, ['tags' => TagFactory::new()->many(0, 3)]);

Factories as Services

If your factories require dependencies, you can define them as a service. The following example demonstrates a very common use-case: encoding a password with the UserPasswordEncoderInterface service.

// src/Factory/UserFactory.php

namespace App\Story;

use App\Entity\User;
use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\Encoder\UserPasswordEncoderInterface;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\ModelFactory;

final class UserFactory extends ModelFactory
{
    private $passwordEncoder;

    public function __construct(UserPasswordEncoderInterface $passwordEncoder)
    {
        parent::__construct();

        $this->passwordEncoder = $passwordEncoder;
    }

    protected function getDefaults(): array
    {
        return [
            'email' => self::faker()->unique()->safeEmail,
            'password' => '1234',
        ];
    }

    protected function initialize(): self
    {
        return $this
            ->afterInstantiate(function(User $user) {
                $user->setPassword($this->passwordEncoder->encodePassword($user, $user->getPassword()));
            })
        ;
    }

    protected static function getClass(): string
    {
        return User::class;
    }
}

If using a standard Symfony Flex app, this will be autowired/autoconfigured. If not, register the service and tag with foundry.factory.

Use the factory as normal:

UserFactory::createOne(['password' => 'mypass'])->getPassword(); // "mypass" encoded
UserFactory::createOne()->getPassword(); // "1234" encoded (because "1234" is set as the default password)

NOTES:

1. The provided bundle is required for factories as services.
2. If using make:factory --test, factories will be created in the tests/Factory directory which is not autowired/autoconfigured in a standard Symfony Flex app. You will have to manually register these as services.

Anonymous Factories

Foundry can be used to create factories for entities that you don't have model factories for:

use App\Entity\Post;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\AnonymousFactory;
use function Zenstruck\Foundry\factory;
use function Zenstruck\Foundry\create;
use function Zenstruck\Foundry\create_many;

$factory = AnonymousFactory::new(Post::class);
$factory = factory(Post::class); // alternative to above

// has the same API as ModelFactory's
$factory->create(['field' => 'value']);
$factory->many(5)->create(['field' => 'value']);
$factory->instantiateWith(function () {});
$factory->beforeInstantiate(function () {});
$factory->afterInstantiate(function () {});
$factory->afterPersist(function () {});

// find a persisted object for the given attributes, if not found, create with the attributes
$factory->findOrCreate(['title' => 'My Title']);

$factory->first(); // get the first object (assumes an auto-incremented "id" column)
$factory->first('createdAt'); // assuming "createdAt" is a datetime column, this will return latest object
$factory->last(); // get the last object (assumes an auto-incremented "id" column)
$factory->last('createdAt'); // assuming "createdAt" is a datetime column, this will return oldest object

$factory->truncate(); // empty the database table
$factory->count(); // the number of persisted Post's
$factory->all(); // Post[]|Proxy[] all the persisted Post's

$factory->findBy(['author' => 'kevin']); // Post[]|Proxy[] matching the filter

$factory->find(5); // Post|Proxy with the id of 5
$factory->find(['title' => 'My First Post']); // Post|Proxy matching the filter

// get a random object that has been persisted
$factory->random(); // returns Post|Proxy
$factory->random(['author' => 'kevin']); // filter by the passed attributes

// or automatically persist a new random object if none exists
$factory->randomOrCreate();
$factory->randomOrCreate(['author' => 'kevin']); // filter by or create with the passed attributes

// get a random set of objects that have been persisted
$factory->randomSet(4); // array containing 4 "Post|Proxy" objects
$factory->randomSet(4, ['author' => 'kevin']); // filter by the passed attributes

// random range of persisted objects
$factory->randomRange(0, 5); // array containing 0-5 "Post|Proxy" objects
$factory->randomRange(0, 5, ['author' => 'kevin']); // filter by the passed attributes

// repository proxy wrapping PostRepository (see Repository Proxy section below)
$factory->repository();

// convenience functions
$entity = create(Post::class, ['field' => 'value']);
$entities = create_many(Post::class, 5, ['field' => 'value']);

Without Persisting

Factories can also create objects without persisting them. This can be useful for unit tests where you just want to test the behaviour of the actual object or for creating objects that are not entities. When created, they are still wrapped in a Proxy to optionally save later.

use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use App\Entity\Post;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\AnonymousFactory;
use function Zenstruck\Foundry\instantiate;
use function Zenstruck\Foundry\instantiate_many;

$post = PostFactory::new()->withoutPersisting()->create(); // returns Post|Proxy
$post->setTitle('something else'); // do something with object
$post->save(); // persist the Post (save() is a method on Proxy)

$post = PostFactory::new()->withoutPersisting()->create()->object(); // actual Post object

$posts = PostFactory::new()->withoutPersisting()->many(5)->create(); // returns Post[]|Proxy[]

// anonymous factories:
$factory = new AnonymousFactory(Post::class);

$entity = $factory->withoutPersisting()->create(['field' => 'value']); // returns Post|Proxy

$entity = $factory->withoutPersisting()->create(['field' => 'value'])->object(); // actual Post object

$entities = $factory->withoutPersisting()->many(5)->create(['field' => 'value']); // returns Post[]|Proxy[]

// convenience functions
$entity = instantiate(Post::class, ['field' => 'value']);
$entities = instantiate_many(Post::class, 5, ['field' => 'value']);

If you'd like your model factory to not persist by default, override its initialize() method to add this behaviour:

protected function initialize(): self
{
    return $this
        ->withoutPersisting()
    ;
}

Now, after creating objects using this factory, you'd have to call ->save() to actually persist them to the database.

TIP: If you'd like to disable persisting by default for all your model factories:

1. Create an abstract model factory that extends Zenstruck\Foundry\ModelFactory.
2. Override the initialize() method as shown above.
3. Have all your model factories extend from this.

Using with DoctrineFixturesBundle

Foundry works out of the box with DoctrineFixturesBundle. You can simply use your factories and stories right within your fixture files:

// src/DataFixtures/AppFixtures.php
namespace App\DataFixtures;

use App\Factory\CategoryFactory;
use App\Factory\CommentFactory;
use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use App\Factory\TagFactory;
use Doctrine\Bundle\FixturesBundle\Fixture;
use Doctrine\Persistence\ObjectManager;

class AppFixtures extends Fixture
{
    public function load(ObjectManager $manager)
    {
        // create 10 Category's
        CategoryFactory::createMany(10);

        // create 20 Tag's
        TagFactory::createMany(20);

        // create 50 Post's
        PostFactory::createMany(50, function() {
            return [
                // each Post will have a random Category (chosen from those created above)
                'category' => CategoryFactory::random(),

                // each Post will have between 0 and 6 Tag's (chosen from those created above)
                'tags' => TagFactory::randomRange(0, 6),

                // each Post will have between 0 and 10 Comment's that are created new
                'comments' => CommentFactory::new()->many(0, 10),
            ];
        });
    }
}

Run the doctrine:fixtures:load as normal to seed your database.

Using in your Tests

Traditionally, data fixtures are defined in one or more files outside of your tests. When writing tests using these fixtures, your fixtures are a sort of a black box. There is no clear connection between the fixtures and what you are testing.

Foundry allows each individual test to fully follow the AAA ("Arrange", "Act", "Assert") testing pattern. You create your fixtures using "factories" at the beginning of each test. You only create fixtures that are applicable for the test. Additionally, these fixtures are created with only the attributes required for the test - attributes that are not applicable are filled with random data. The created fixture objects are wrapped in a "proxy" that helps with pre and post assertions.

Let's look at an example:

public function test_can_post_a_comment(): void
{
    // 1. "Arrange"
    $post = PostFactory::new() // New Post factory
        ->published()          // Make the post in a "published" state
        ->create([             // Instantiate Post object and persist
            'slug' => 'post-a' // This test only requires the slug field - all other fields are random data
        ])
    ;
    
    // 1a. "Pre-Assertions"
    $this->assertCount(0, $post->getComments());

    // 2. "Act"
    static::ensureKernelShutdown(); // creating factories boots the kernel; shutdown before creating the client
    $client = static::createClient();
    $client->request('GET', '/posts/post-a'); // Note the slug from the arrange step
    $client->submitForm('Add', [
        'comment[name]' => 'John',
        'comment[body]' => 'My comment',
    ]);

    // 3. "Assert"
    self::assertResponseRedirects('/posts/post-a');

    $this->assertCount(1, $post->refresh()->getComments()); // Refresh $post from the database and call ->getComments()

    CommentFactory::assert()->exists([ // Doctrine repository assertions
        'name' => 'John',
        'body' => 'My comment',
    ]);
}

Enable Foundry in your TestCase

Add the Factories trait for tests using factories:

use Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\Factories;
use Symfony\Bundle\FrameworkBundle\Test\WebTestCase;

class MyTest extends WebTestCase
{
    use Factories;

    public function test_1(): void
    {
        // if using the test client, create before creating factories
        // (creating the client requires the kernel be shutdown and creating
        // factories boots the kernel)
        $client = self::createClient();

        $post = PostFactory::createOne();

        // ...
    }

    public function test_2(): void
    {
        $post = PostFactory::createOne();

        // if you want to create your factories before creating the client,
        // you will need to shut down the kernel first.
        self::ensureKernelShutdown();
        $client = self::createClient();

        // ...
    }
}

This library requires that your database be reset before each test. The packaged ResetDatabase trait handles this for you. Before the first test, it drops (if exists) and creates the test database. Before each test, it resets the schema.

use Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\Factories;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\ResetDatabase;
use Symfony\Bundle\FrameworkBundle\Test\WebTestCase;

class MyTest extends WebTestCase
{
    use ResetDatabase, Factories;
    
    // ...
}

TIP: Create a base TestCase for tests using factories to avoid adding the traits to every TestCase.

NOTE: If your tests are not persisting the objects they create, these test traits are not required.

By default, ResetDatabase resets the default configured connection's database and default configured object manager's schema. To customize the connection's and object manager's to be reset (or reset multiple connections/managers), set the following environment variables:

# .env.test

FOUNDRY_RESET_CONNECTIONS=connection1,connection2
FOUNDRY_RESET_OBJECT_MANAGERS=manager1,manager2

Object Proxy

Objects created by a factory are wrapped in a special Proxy object. These objects allow your doctrine entities to have Active Record like behavior:

use App\Factory\PostFactory;

$post = PostFactory::createOne()->create(['title' => 'My Title']); // instance of Zenstruck\Foundry\Proxy

// get the wrapped object
$realPost = $post->object(); // instance of Post

// call any Post method
$post->getTitle(); // "My Title"

// set property and save to the database
$post->setTitle('New Title');
$post->save();

// refresh from the database
$post->refresh();

// delete from the database
$post->remove();

$post->repository(); // repository proxy wrapping PostRepository (see Repository Proxy section below)

Force Setting

Object proxies have helper methods to access non-public properties of the object they wrap:

// set private/protected properties
$post->forceSet('createdAt', new \DateTime());

// get private/protected properties
$post->forceGet('createdAt');

Auto-Refresh

Object proxies have the option to enable auto refreshing that removes the need to call ->refresh() before calling methods on the underlying object. When auto-refresh is enabled, most calls to proxy objects first refresh the wrapped object from the database.

use App\Factory\PostFactory;

$post = PostFactory::new(['title' => 'Original Title'])
    ->create()
    ->enableAutoRefresh()
;

// ... logic that changes the $post title to "New Title" (like your functional test)

$post->getTitle(); // "New Title" (equivalent to $post->refresh()->getTitle())

Without auto-refreshing enabled, the above call to $post->getTitle() would return "Original Title".

NOTE: A situation you need to be aware of when using auto-refresh is that all methods refresh the object first. If changing the object's state via multiple methods (or multiple force-sets), an "unsaved changes" exception will be thrown:

use App\Factory\PostFactory;

$post = PostFactory::new(['title' => 'Original Title', 'body' => 'Original Body'])
    ->create()
    ->enableAutoRefresh()
;

$post->setTitle('New Title');
$post->setBody('New Body'); // exception thrown because of "unsaved changes" to $post from above

To overcome this, you need to first disable auto-refreshing, then re-enable after making/saving the changes:

use App\Entity\Post;
use App\Factory\PostFactory;

$post = PostFactory::new(['title' => 'Original Title', 'body' => 'Original Body'])
    ->create()
    ->enableAutoRefresh()
;

$post->disableAutoRefresh();
$post->setTitle('New Title'); // or using ->forceSet('title', 'New Title')
$post->setBody('New Body'); // or using ->forceSet('body', 'New Body')
$post->enableAutoRefresh();
$post->save();

$post->getBody(); // "New Body"
$post->getTitle(); // "New Title"

// alternatively, use the ->withoutAutoRefresh() helper which first disables auto-refreshing, then re-enables after
// executing the callback.
$post->withoutAutoRefresh(function (Post $post) { // can pass either Post or Proxy to the callback
    $post->setTitle('New Title');
    $post->setBody('New Body');
});
$post->save();

// if force-setting properties, you can use the ->forceSetAll() helper:
$post->forceSetAll([
    'title' => 'New Title',
    'body' => 'New Body',
]);
$post->save();

NOTE: You can enable/disable auto-refreshing globally to have every proxy auto-refreshable by default or not. When enabled, you will have to opt-out of auto-refreshing.

# config/packages/dev/zenstruck_foundry.yaml (see Bundle Configuration section about sharing this in the test environment)
zenstruck_foundry:
    auto_refresh_proxies: true/false

Repository Proxy

This library provides a Repository Proxy that wraps your object repositories to provide useful assertions and methods:

use App\Entity\Post;
use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use function Zenstruck\Foundry\repository;

// instance of RepositoryProxy that wraps PostRepository
$repository = PostFactory::repository();

// alternative to above for proxying repository you haven't created model factories for
$repository = repository(Post::class);

// helpful methods - all returned object(s) are proxied
$repository->count(); // number of rows in the database table
count($repository); // equivalent to above (RepositoryProxy implements \Countable)
$repository->first(); // get the first object (assumes an auto-incremented "id" column)
$repository->first('createdAt'); // assuming "createdAt" is a datetime column, this will return latest object
$repository->last(); // get the last object (assumes an auto-incremented "id" column)
$repository->last('createdAt'); // assuming "createdAt" is a datetime column, this will return oldest object
$repository->truncate(); // delete all rows in the database table
$repository->random(); // get a random object
$repository->random(['author' => 'kevin']); // get a random object filtered by the passed criteria
$repository->randomSet(5); // get 5 random objects
$repository->randomSet(5, ['author' => 'kevin']); // get 5 random objects filtered by the passed criteria
$repository->randomRange(0, 5); // get 0-5 random objects
$repository->randomRange(0, 5, ['author' => 'kevin']); // get 0-5 random objects filtered by the passed criteria

// instance of ObjectRepository - all returned object(s) are proxied
$repository->find(1); // Proxy|Post|null
$repository->find(['title' => 'My Title']); // Proxy|Post|null
$repository->findOneBy(['title' => 'My Title']); // Proxy|Post|null
$repository->findAll(); // Proxy[]|Post[]
iterator_to_array($repository); // equivalent to above (RepositoryProxy implements \IteratorAggregate)
$repository->findBy(['title' => 'My Title']); // Proxy[]|Post[]

// can call methods on the underlying repository - returned object(s) are proxied
$repository->findOneByTitle('My Title'); // Proxy|Post|null

Assertions

Both object proxy's and your ModelFactory's have helpful PHPUnit assertions:

use App\Factory\PostFactory;

$post = PostFactory::createOne();

$post->assertPersisted();
$post->assertNotPersisted();

PostFactory::assert()->empty();
PostFactory::assert()->count(3);
PostFactory::assert()->countGreaterThan(3);
PostFactory::assert()->countGreaterThanOrEqual(3);
PostFactory::assert()->countLessThan(3);
PostFactory::assert()->countLessThanOrEqual(3);
PostFactory::assert()->exists(['title' => 'My Title']);
PostFactory::assert()->notExists(['title' => 'My Title']);

Global State

If you have an initial database state you want for all tests, you can set this in your tests/bootstrap.php:

// tests/bootstrap.php
// ...

Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\TestState::addGlobalState(function () {
    CategoryFactory::createOne(['name' => 'php']);
    CategoryFactory::createOne(['name' => 'symfony']);
});

To avoid your bootstrap file from becoming too complex, it is best to wrap your global state into a Story:

// tests/bootstrap.php
// ...

Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\TestState::addGlobalState(function () {
    GlobalStory::load();
});

NOTES:

1. You can still access Story State for Global State Stories in your tests and they are still only loaded once.
2. The ResetDatabase trait is required when using global state.

PHPUnit Data Providers

It is possible to use factories in PHPUnit data providers:

use App\Factory\PostFactory;

/**
 * @dataProvider postDataProvider
 */
public function test_post_via_data_provider(PostFactory $factory): void
{
    $post = $factory->create();

    // ...
}

public static function postDataProvider(): iterable
{
    yield [PostFactory::new()];
    yield [PostFactory::new()->published()];
}

NOTES:

1. Be sure your data provider returns only instances of ModelFactory and you do not try and call ->create() on them. Data providers are computed early in the phpunit process before Foundry is booted.
2. For the same reason as above, it is not possible to use Factory Services with required constructor arguments (the container is not yet available).

Performance

The following are possible options to improve the speed of your test suite.

DAMADoctrineTestBundle

This library integrates seamlessly with DAMADoctrineTestBundle to wrap each test in a transaction which dramatically reduces test time. This library's test suite runs 5x faster with this bundle enabled.

Follow its documentation to install. Foundry's ResetDatabase trait detects when using the bundle and adjusts accordingly. Your database is still reset before running your test suite but the schema isn't reset before each test (just the first).

NOTE: If using Global State, it is persisted to the database (not in a transaction) before your test suite is run. This could further improve test speed if you have a complex global state.

Miscellaneous

1. Disable debug mode when running tests. In your .env.test file, you can set APP_DEBUG=0 to have your tests run without debug mode. This can speed up your tests considerably. You will need to ensure you cache is cleared before running the test suite. The best place to do this is in your tests/bootstrap.php:

   // tests/bootstrap.php
   // ...
   if (false === (bool) $_SERVER['APP_DEBUG']) {
       // ensure fresh cache
       (new Symfony\Component\Filesystem\Filesystem())->remove(__DIR__.'/../var/cache/test');
   }
   

2. Reduce password encoder work factor. If you have a lot of tests that work with encoded passwords, this will cause these tests to be unnecessarily slow. You can improve the speed by reducing the work factor of your encoder:

   # config/packages/test/security.yaml
   encoders:
       # use your user class name here
       App\Entity\User:
           # This should be the same value as in config/packages/security.yaml
           algorithm: auto
           cost: 4 # Lowest possible value for bcrypt
           time_cost: 3 # Lowest possible value for argon
           memory_cost: 10 # Lowest possible value for argon
   

3. Pre-encode user passwords with a known value via bin/console security:encode-password and set this in ModelFactory::getDefaults(). Add the known value as a const on your factory:

   class UserFactory extends ModelFactory
   {
       public const DEFAULT_PASSWORD = '1234'; // the password used to create the pre-encoded version below
   
       protected function getDefaults(): array
       {
           return [
               // ...
               'password' => '$argon2id$v=19$m=65536,t=4,p=1$pLFF3D2gnvDmxMuuqH4BrA$3vKfv0cw+6EaNspq9btVAYc+jCOqrmWRstInB2fRPeQ',
           ];
       }
   }
   

   Now, in your tests, when you need access to the unencoded password for a user created with UserFactory, use UserFactory::DEFAULT_PASSWORD.

Non-Kernel Tests

Foundry can be used in standard PHPUnit unit tests (TestCase's that just extend PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase and not Symfony\Bundle\FrameworkBundle\Test\KernelTestCase). These tests still require using the Factories trait to boot Foundry but will not have doctrine available. Factories created in these tests will not be persisted (calling ->withoutPersisting() is not necessary). Because the bundle is not available in these tests, any bundle configuration you have will not be picked up. You will need to add Test-Only Configuration. Unfortunately, this may mean duplicating your bundle configuration here.

use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\Factories;

class MyUnitTest extends TestCase
{
    use Factories;

    public function some_test(): void
    {
        $post = PostFactory::createOne();

        // $post is not persisted to the database
    }
}

NOTE: Factories as Services and Stories as Services with required constructor arguments are not usable in non-Kernel tests. The container is not available to resolve their dependencies. The easiest work-around is to make the test an instance of Symfony\Bundle\FrameworkBundle\Test\KernelTestCase so the container is available.

Test-Only Configuration

Foundry can be configured statically, with pure PHP, in your tests/bootstrap.php. This is useful if you have a mix of Kernel and non-Kernel tests or if using Foundry without the bundle:

// tests/bootstrap.php
// ...

// configure a default instantiator
Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\TestState::setInstantiator(
    (new Zenstruck\Foundry\Instantiator())
        ->withoutConstructor()
        ->allowExtraAttributes()
        ->alwaysForceProperties()
);

// configure a custom faker
Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\TestState::setFaker(Faker\Factory::create('fr_FR'));

// enable auto-refreshing "globally"
Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\TestState::enableDefaultProxyAutoRefresh();

// disable auto-refreshing "globally"
Zenstruck\Foundry\Test\TestState::disableDefaultProxyAutoRefresh();

NOTE: If using bundle configuration as well, test-only configuration will override the bundle configuration.

Using without the Bundle

The provided bundle is not strictly required to use Foundry for tests. You can have all your factories, stories, and configuration live in your tests/ directory. You can configure foundry with Test-Only Configuration.

Stories

Stories are useful if you find your test's arrange step is getting complex (loading lots of fixtures) or duplicating logic between tests and/or your dev fixtures. They are used to extract a specific database state into a story. Stories can be loaded in your fixtures and in your tests, they can also depend on other stories.

Create a story using the maker command:

$ bin/console make:story Post

NOTE: Creates PostStory.php in src/Story, add --test flag to create in tests/Story.

Modify the build method to set the state for this story:

// src/Story/PostStory.php

namespace App\Story;

use App\Factory\CategoryFactory;
use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use App\Factory\TagFactory;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\Story;

final class PostStory extends Story
{
    public function build(): void
    {
        // create 10 Category's
        CategoryFactory::createMany(10);

        // create 20 Tag's
        TagFactory::createMany(20);

        // create 50 Post's
        PostFactory::createMany(50, function() {
            return [
                // each Post will have a random Category (created above)
                'category' => CategoryFactory::random(),

                // each Post will between 0 and 6 Tag's (created above)
                'tags' => TagFactory::randomRange(0, 6),
            ];
        });
    }
}

Use the new story in your tests, dev fixtures, or even other stories:

PostStory::load(); // loads the state defined in PostStory::build()

PostStory::load(); // does nothing - already loaded

NOTE: Objects persisted in stories are cleared after each test (unless it is a "Global State Story").

Stories as Services

If your stories require dependencies, you can define them as a service:

// src/Story/PostStory.php

namespace App\Story;

use App\Factory\PostFactory;
use App\Service\ServiceA;
use App\Service\ServiceB;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\Story;

final class PostStory extends Story
{
    private $serviceA;
    private $serviceB;

    public function __construct(ServiceA $serviceA, ServiceB $serviceB)
    {
        $this->serviceA = $serviceA;
        $this->serviceB = $serviceB;
    }

    public function build(): void
    {
        // can use $this->serviceA, $this->serviceB here to help build this story
    }
}

If using a standard Symfony Flex app, this will be autowired/autoconfigured. If not, register the service and tag with foundry.story.

NOTE: The provided bundle is required for stories as services.

Story State

Another feature of stories is the ability for them to remember the objects they created to be referenced later:

// src/Story/CategoryStory.php

namespace App\Story;

use App\Factory\CategoryFactory;
use Zenstruck\Foundry\Story;

final class CategoryStory extends Story
{
    public function build(): void
    {
        $this->add('php', CategoryFactory::createOne(['name' => 'php']));

        // factories are created when added as state
        $this->add('symfony', CategoryFactory::new(['name' => 'symfony']));
    }
}

Later, you can access the story's state when creating other fixtures:

PostFactory::createOne(['category' => CategoryStory::load()->get('php')]);

// or use the magic method (functionally equivalent to above)
PostFactory::createOne(['category' => CategoryStory::php()]);

NOTE: Story state is cleared after each test (unless it is a "Global State Story").

Bundle Configuration

Since the bundle is intended to be used in your dev and test environments, you'll want the configuration for each environment to match. The easiest way to do this is have your test config, import dev. This way, there is just one place to set your config.

# config/packages/dev/zenstruck_foundry.yaml

zenstruck_foundry:
    # ...

# config/packages/test/zenstruck_foundry.yaml

# just import the dev config
imports:
    - { resource: ../dev/zenstruck_foundry.yaml }

Full Default Bundle Configuration

zenstruck_foundry:

    # Whether to auto-refresh proxies by default (https://github.com/zenstruck/foundry#auto-refresh)
    auto_refresh_proxies: true

    # Configure faker to be used by your factories.
    faker:

        # Change the default faker locale.
        locale:               null # Example: fr_FR

        # Customize the faker service.
        service:              null # Example: my_faker

    # Configure the default instantiator used by your factories.
    instantiator:

        # Whether or not to call an object's constructor during instantiation.
        without_constructor: false

        # Whether or not to allow extra attributes.
        allow_extra_attributes: false

        # Whether or not to skip setters and force set object properties (public/private/protected) directly.
        always_force_properties: false

        # Customize the instantiator service.
        service:              null # Example: my_instantiator

    protected function configureContainer(ContainerConfigurator $container): void
    {
         $container->import('../config/{packages}/*.yaml');
+        $container->import('../config/{packages}/'.$this->environment.'/*.php');
         $container->import('../config/{packages}/'.$this->environment.'/*.yaml');
        //...
    }

// config/packages/dev/zenstruck_foundry.php

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Loader\Configurator\ContainerConfigurator;

return static function (ContainerConfigurator $config): void
{
    $config->extension('zenstruck_foundry', [

        // Whether to auto-refresh proxies by default (https://github.com/zenstruck/foundry#auto-refresh)
        'auto_refresh_proxies' => false,

        // Configure faker to be used by your factories.
        'faker' => [

            // Change the default faker locale.
            'locale' => null,

            // Customize the faker service.
            'service' => null
        ],

        // Configure the default instantiator used by your factories.
        'instantiator' => [

            // Whether or not to call an object's constructor during instantiation.
            'without_constructor' => false,

            // Whether or not to allow extra attributes.
            'allow_extra_attributes' => false,

            // Whether or not to skip setters and force set object properties (public/private/protected) directly.
            'always_force_properties' => false,

            // Customize the instantiator service.
            'service' => null
        ]
    ]);
};

Credit

The AAA style of testing was first introduced to me by Adam Wathan's excellent Test Driven Laravel Course. The inspiration for this libraries API comes from Laravel factories and christophrumpel/laravel-factories-reloaded.