v1.0.0 — Random, Fake & Mock Data Generator

Install from the VS Code Marketplace — free and fully offline.

The first stable release — a ground-up relaunch as Random, Fake & Mock Data Generator.

Features

• Switched the random engine to @faker-js/faker for realistic, coherent data.
• Expanded the catalog to ~130 data types — on top of the originals (names, dates, numbers, strings, lorem, hashes, …), added email, UUID, company, commerce, finance (credit card, IBAN, currency, crypto), git, system/files, vehicle, food, music, travel, color variants, and richer identity / location / date / number / internet types, plus IDs like ULID & nanoid. Every type is a searchable command and a grouped Quick Pick entry.
• Multi-cursor fill — insert a different value at every cursor in one step.
• New Insert Random: Pick… command — choose any type from a searchable, grouped menu.
• Clipboard insert type — set insertType to Clipboard to copy a generated value to the clipboard instead of inserting it (no editor needed; resolves #4).
• Automatic quoting — inserted values wrap in the correct quote for the file's language with zero configuration, so they're always valid syntax: SQL dialects use single quotes and escape an embedded quote by doubling it ('O''Brien'); every other language (JSON, Go, Java, Rust, JS/TS, Python, and the rest) uses double quotes. No quote settings to configure.
• Multi-field records — new Insert Random: Record… command: multi-select any fields and insert them together as one record — a JSON object, a SQL INSERT row, or a CSV line — at every cursor. Set the shape with insertRandomText.recordFormat (json / sql / csv) and the SQL table name with insertRandomText.recordSqlTable. Respects bulk count (a JSON array / repeated rows), multi-cursor, seed, and the insert type (cursors / top of file / clipboard).
• Generate whole datasets — new Insert Random: Generate Dataset… command: pick fields (custom lists included), a format, and a row count, and up to 100,000 rows open as a new untitled file — a JSON array (one record per line), SQL INSERT statements, or CSV with a header row. The format pick starts on your recordFormat, the row count on your bulk count (large counts confirm first); locale, seed, and date format apply, so a seeded run regenerates the identical dataset. Instant and offline, works with no editor open.
• New settings: insertRandomText.uniquePerCursor, insertRandomText.strictUnique, insertRandomText.seed (reproducible output), insertRandomText.locale, insertRandomText.bulkCount, insertRandomText.outputFormat (plain / jsonArray / quotedList), insertRandomText.dateFormat, insertRandomText.recordFormat, insertRandomText.recordSqlTable, and an opt-in editor context-menu submenu (insertRandomText.contextMenu.enabled).
• Settings commands — change any setting from the Command Palette: Insert Random: Set Insert Type / Output Format / Date Format / Record Format / Record SQL Table / Bulk Count / Seed / Locale, Toggle commands for each boolean setting (Wrap With Quotes, Trailing New Line, Unique Value Per Cursor, Strict Unique, Editor Context Menu), and Reset Settings to Defaults.
• New Image URL and Avatar URL types (new Media category) — UI placeholders and Storybook props — plus MongoDB ObjectId under IDs.
• Parameterized types — new Insert Random: Number (Range…), Float (Range…), String (Length…), Date (Between…), Words (Count…), Sentences (Count…), and Paragraphs (Count…) commands ask for a min & max, a length up to 1000, a from/to date (YYYY-MM-DD or full ISO 8601), or a lorem count up to 100 in validated input boxes, then insert through the normal pipeline (multi-cursor, bulk, quoting, seed all apply). Last-used inputs are remembered and prefilled; Esc cancels cleanly.
• Format variants — new Insert Random: UUID (Format…), Password (Options…), and Phone (Format…) commands: pick a UUID rendering (lowercase / UPPERCASE / braced / no dashes / UPPERCASE without dashes), a password length (8–128) with or without symbols, or a phone style (human / national / international) from a Quick Pick. The last pick is remembered and floats to the top next time; same pipeline and clean Esc-cancel as the other parameterized types.
• Templates & patterns — new Insert Random: From Template… and From Pattern… commands expose faker's entire surface through one input box: a mustache template ({{person.firstName}} <{{internet.email}}>) or a regex-like pattern ([A-Z]{3}-[0-9]{4}, faker's limited regex subset) is re-rendered with fresh values at every cursor and bulk item. Input is proven by test-rendering as you type — a typo shows faker's error plus a working example inline, and nothing inserts until it renders; the last template and pattern are remembered and prefilled.
• Your own data — two new settings put your data in the picker: insertRandomText.templates (named faker templates) and insertRandomText.customLists (named value lists) appear as Templates and Custom Lists groups at the top of Insert Random: Pick…, and custom lists double as Record… fields (the name becomes the field key). Everything rides the normal pipeline — multi-cursor, bulk, quoting, seed. New Insert Random: Manage Templates / Manage Custom Lists commands jump straight to the settings; malformed entries are skipped safely (logged to the console), and both settings survive Reset Settings to Defaults.
• Sequences — new Insert Random: Sequence (Start/Step…) command fills cursors with incrementing values: enter a start and a step (negative counts down) and 1, 2, 3… lands down your column — one counter runs through the cursors and bulk items of an insert, and the next insert restarts at your start. Deliberately not random — the multi-cursor machinery makes numbered columns free.
• Runs in the browser — the extension now ships a web build alongside the desktop one, so it works on vscode.dev and github.dev; the web bundle carries no Node dependencies and generates everything in the browser, still fully offline.
• Restricted Mode & virtual workspaces — the extension now runs in untrusted (Restricted Mode) and virtual workspaces: every value is generated in-process, with no project-file reads and no network calls.
• Six locales — new insertRandomText.locale setting (en / de / fr / es / pt_BR / ja): names, addresses, words and more come out in the chosen language, across everything — single inserts, records, templates and patterns. Switching applies to the next insert with no reload, seeded runs stay reproducible per locale, and a type without localized data falls back to English. Change it from the palette with Insert Random: Set Locale.
• Anonymize in place, type-aware — new Insert Random: Randomize Selection command replaces each selection where it stands: a selection that is an email, UUID, or ISO date/timestamp becomes a fresh realistic fake of the same type (a UUID stays a valid UUID — case and braces preserved; a date stays a real calendar date at its own precision), and everything else gets a same-shape randomization — digits become digits, letters keep their case, punctuation and layout don't move (3.14 → 8.77). Works across a multi-selection in one step, honors the seed for reproducible scrubs, and joins the editor right-click submenu.
• Date format control — new insertRandomText.dateFormat setting (iso / isoDate / isoTime / unixSeconds / unixMillis) renders every timestamp Time type (Date, Past/Future/Recent/Soon Date, Birthdate, Date (Between…)) as a full ISO 8601 timestamp, date only, time only, or Unix seconds/milliseconds — in single inserts and record fields alike (Weekday/Month are unaffected). Change it from the palette with Insert Random: Set Date Format.
• Strict unique (opt-in) — new insertRandomText.strictUnique setting: duplicates are re-drawn so values meant to differ within one insert really do — bulk values at a cursor, and values across cursors when uniquePerCursor is on. Honestly bounded: after 25 re-draws a small pool (booleans, weekdays) keeps its duplicate rather than hanging, and seeded runs stay reproducible. Flip it from the palette with Insert Random: Toggle Strict Unique.

Fixes

• Inserted text no longer stays selected: after a Cursor-mode insert over a selection, the cursor now sits right after the inserted block — same as typing.
• Lorem is now genuinely randomized (previously a fixed substring of one hardcoded string).
• Random string is alphanumeric, so it no longer breaks quote-wrapping.
• Quote-wrapped values are now escaped, so a value containing the active quote character (e.g. O'Brien) stays a valid string literal.
• Removed the global notification-clearing side effect and a duplicate-draw bug in the animal command.

Changes

• Removed the loremSize, hashSize, and disableNotifs settings — the base Lorem and Hash commands no longer take a configurable length (the Small / Medium / Large variants still cover the sizes), and inserts no longer show notifications, so there is nothing left to disable.
• Removed the quoteStyle setting — quoting is now automatic and language-aware (see Automatic quoting): SQL keeps single quotes, every other language now gets double quotes where the old default wrapped in single, and a saved quoteStyle value is no longer read.
• Existing extension.insertRandom* commands continue to work unchanged.
• Modernized the build (esbuild bundle; now requires VS Code 1.97+).
• Refreshed the marketplace listing: new icon, new description, added the Testing category, finalized the keyword set, a Sponsor button linking to the README's Support section, and a gallery banner tuned to the icon.
• New demo...

v0.1.3 — README update

Changes

• Expanded the README — clearer step-by-step installation instructions, contributing notes, and a new Support section with donation options.

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Originally published to the VS Code Marketplace on 2020-07-25 as Insert Random Text. This release entry was backfilled; the tag preserves the original 2020 commit.

v0.1.2 — README update

Changes

• Polished the README — tidied the installation steps and links.

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Originally published to the VS Code Marketplace on 2020-03-21 as Insert Random Text. This release entry was backfilled; the tag preserves the original 2020 commit.

v0.1.1 — trailing new line

Features

• Trailing new line — new withNewLine setting appends a newline after the inserted value, so back-to-back inserts land on their own lines.

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Originally published to the VS Code Marketplace on 2020-03-16 as Insert Random Text. This release entry was backfilled; the tag preserves the original 2020 commit.

v0.1.0 — initial release

The first release, as Insert Random Text — insert random text on the fly, powered by Chance.

Features

• 14 insert commands — Insert Random: Animal / Person / Date / Country / Number / String, plus Lorem and Hash in four sizes each (base, Small, Medium, Large).
• Insert type — the insertType setting places the value at the cursor (Cursor) or on line 1 of the file (Top).
• Quote wrapping — withQuote wraps inserted values in quotes; quoteStyle chooses single or double.
• Length controls — loremSize and hashSize set the generated length for the base Lorem and Hash commands.
• Notifications toggle — disableNotifs silences the insert confirmation notifications.

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Originally published to the VS Code Marketplace on 2020-03-15. This release entry was backfilled; the tag preserves the original 2020 commit.