demo-data

Find it fast

sed -n '<from>,<to>p' SKILL.md one section rather than reading the file; ./mxcli syntax <topic> answers how do I write this for a fraction of either.

lines	section
28-33	Purpose
34-42	When to Use This Skill
43-76	Step 1: Get Database Settings
77-103	Step 2: Connect to the Database
104-165	Step 3: Understand the Mendix ID System
166-253	Step 4: Check Association Storage and Optimistic Locking
254-355	Step 5: Insert Demo Data
356-401	Important Caveats
402-447	Quick Reference
448-494	Automated Alternative: IMPORT FROM
495-499	Related Skills

Skill: Connect to Application Database and Generate Demo Data

Purpose

Connect directly to the Mendix application's PostgreSQL database from a devcontainer and insert demo data — bypassing the runtime. Covers reading DB settings, understanding Mendix's internal ID system, and safely inserting rows with correct IDs and association links.

When to Use This Skill

• User asks to seed or populate the database with test/demo data
• User needs data in the app before the UI is built
• User wants to inspect the database directly (schema, row counts, etc.)
• Bulk data import that is impractical through the Mendix UI

---

Step 1: Get Database Settings

Use mxcli to read the project's configured database connection:

./mxcli -p <project>.mpr -c "list settings;"

Example output:

| configuration 'Default' | PostgreSql, localhost:5434, db=mxcli2-dev, http=8080 |

For full credentials (username, password):

./mxcli -p <project>.mpr -c "describe settings;"

Example output:

mdl 1;
alter settings configuration 'Default' (
  DatabaseType: 'PostgreSql',
  DatabaseUrl: 'localhost:5434',
  DatabaseName: 'mxcli2-dev',
  DatabaseUserName: 'mendix',
  DatabasePassword: 'mendix',
  HttpPortNumber: 8080
);