Cesivi Data Generation Guide¶

This guide explains how to use the data generation scripts to create sample Cesivi data for testing and development.

Quick Start¶

# Generate basic data and start server (one command!)
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1

That's it! The server will start on http://localhost:5010 (or your branch-specific port) with basic test data.

Scripts Overview¶

1. Generate-BasicMockData.ps1¶

Creates a minimal SharePoint structure with fixed, predictable IDs for testing.

What it creates: - 1 Web Application - 1 Site Collection (/sites/basic) - 1 Root Web - 1 List with 4 fields (Title, DateTime, Note, Bool) and 10 items - 1 Document Library with 10 files (2 DOCX, 3 PDF, 3 TXT, 2 PNG) with actual content - 2 Users with site collection admin permissions: - administrator (ID: 1) - kenaflow (ID: 2) - 3 SharePoint Groups: - Site Owners (ID: 3) - administrator is member - Site Members (ID: 4) - kenaflow is member - Site Visitors (ID: 5) - no members - 5 Role Definitions: - Full Control, Design, Contribute, Read, Limited Access

Fixed GUIDs used: - Web App ID: 11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111 - Site Collection ID: 22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222 - Root Web ID: 33333333-3333-3333-3333-333333333333 - List ID: 44444444-4444-4444-4444-444444444444 - Library ID: 55555555-5555-5555-5555-555555555555

Usage:

# Generate to default location (./MockData)
.\Generate-BasicMockData.ps1

# Generate to custom location
.\Generate-BasicMockData.ps1 -OutputPath "R:/MockData"

# Generate to branch-specific location (reads from .branch-config.json)
.\Generate-BasicMockData.ps1 -OutputPath "./MockData-main1"

When to use: - Unit testing (predictable IDs for assertions) - Quick smoke testing - Demonstrating basic functionality - Learning how the mock server works

2. Generate-MediumMockData.ps1¶

Creates a more realistic SharePoint structure with multiple site collections, subwebs, and varied content.

What it creates: - 1 Web Application - 3 Site Collections: 1. Corporate Intranet (/sites/intranet) - Announcements list (5 items) - Documents library (15 PDF files) - Subweb: Departments - Subweb: IT Department - IT Documents library (8 DOCX files) 2. Project Sites (/sites/projects) - Tasks list (20 items with varying statuses, priorities, completion %) 3. Human Resources (/sites/hr) - Employees list (10 items with departments, hire dates) - 5 Users with different roles: - administrator (Site Collection Admin) - john.doe, jane.smith, bob.wilson, alice.brown (Regular users)

Usage:

# Generate to default location
.\Generate-MediumMockData.ps1

# Generate to custom location
.\Generate-MediumMockData.ps1 -OutputPath "R:/MockData"

When to use: - Integration testing with multiple site collections - Testing navigation, web hierarchies (subwebs) - Testing with realistic data volumes - Demonstrating complex SharePoint structures - Performance testing with moderate data

3. Start-MockServerWithData.ps1¶

Convenience script that ensures mock data exists and starts the server with correct settings for your current git branch.

What it does: 1. Detects current git branch 2. Reads .branch-config.json to get port and data path settings 3. Checks if mock data exists 4. Generates mock data if missing (or if -Force specified) 5. Sets environment variables (CESIVI_DATA_PATH, CESIVI_HTTP_PORT, etc.) 6. Starts the mock server with dotnet run

Usage:

# Start server with basic data (generates if missing)
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1

# Force regenerate data and start
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1 -Force

# Use medium dataset
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1 -DataSet Medium

# Use custom data path
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1 -DataPath "R:/MockData"

# Combine options
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1 -Force -DataSet Medium

When to use: - Everyday development workflow - Quickly starting server with fresh data - Working with multiple git worktrees/branches (uses branch-specific ports/paths) - Demos and presentations

4. Generate-SampleMockData.ps1¶

Legacy script - creates a single Team Site with basic content.

What it creates: - 1 Site Collection (/sites/plain) - Documents library (1 document, 1 subfolder) - Site Pages library (Home page) - Tasks list (2 items, 1 with attachment) - Term Store with Department terms

When to use: - Compatibility with existing tests that expect /sites/plain - Testing Term Store functionality - Testing attachments

Common Workflows¶

First Time Setup¶

# 1. Generate basic data
.\Generate-BasicMockData.ps1

# 2. Start server
cd ../Cesivi.Server
dotnet run

# Server runs on http://localhost:5000 (or branch-specific port)

Quick Start (Recommended)¶

# One command - ensures data exists and starts server
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1

Testing with Fresh Data¶

# Regenerate and start with basic data
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1 -Force

# Regenerate and start with medium data
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1 -Force -DataSet Medium

Working with Multiple Branches¶

The project supports running multiple server instances on different ports using git worktrees. The .branch-config.json file maps branches to ports and data paths.

# Branch: main → Port 5010, Data: ./MockData
# Branch: main1 → Port 5020, Data: ./MockData-main1
# Branch: main2 → Port 5030, Data: ./MockData-main2
# etc.

# Switch to different branch
git checkout main1

# Start server (automatically uses port 5020 and ./MockData-main1)
.\Start-MockServerWithData.ps1

Data Storage Structure¶

All scripts generate data following SharePoint's hierarchical folder structure:

MockData/
└── WebApplications/
    └── Default/
        ├── settings.json          # Web Application metadata
        └── SiteCollections/
            ├── BasicSite/                      # From Generate-BasicMockData.ps1
            │   ├── settings.json               # Site collection metadata
            │   ├── Users/                      # Site collection users
            │   │   ├── user_1.json            # administrator
            │   │   └── user_2.json            # kenaflow
            │   ├── Groups/                     # SharePoint groups
            │   │   ├── group_3.json           # Site Owners
            │   │   ├── group_4.json           # Site Members
            │   │   └── group_5.json           # Site Visitors
            │   ├── Roles/                      # Role definitions
            │   │   ├── role_1073741825.json   # Full Control
            │   │   ├── role_1073741826.json   # Design
            │   │   ├── role_1073741827.json   # Contribute
            │   │   ├── role_1073741828.json   # Read
            │   │   └── role_1073741829.json   # Limited Access
            │   └── RootWeb/
            │       ├── settings.json           # Web metadata
            │       ├── Lists/
            │       │   └── Test List/          # Custom list
            │       │       └── settings.json   # List metadata with items
            │       └── Libraries/
            │           └── Test Library/       # Document library
            │               ├── settings.json   # Library metadata with items
            │               └── Files/          # Actual file content
            │                   ├── Document1.docx  (13.4 KB)
            │                   ├── Document2.docx  (13.4 KB)
            │                   ├── Report.pdf      (14.8 KB)
            │                   ├── Guide.pdf       (14.8 KB)
            │                   ├── Notes.txt       (88 bytes)
            │                   ├── Readme.txt      (89 bytes)
            │                   ├── Image1.png      (821 bytes)
            │                   ├── Image2.png      (821 bytes)
            │                   ├── Data.txt        (87 bytes)
            │                   └── Summary.pdf     (14.8 KB)
            ├── Intranet/                       # From Generate-MediumMockData.ps1
            ├── Projects/
            └── HR/

Key conventions: - settings.json - Container settings (site collection, web, list, library) - user_{id}.json - User objects (e.g., user_1.json) - group_{id}.json - Group objects (e.g., group_3.json) - role_{id}.json - Role definition objects - Lists and Libraries stored separately at same level under web - Files stored in Libraries/{LibraryName}/Files/ directory - File content includes real binary data (DOCX with embedded sample document, PDF with valid structure, PNG with actual image data) - List items embedded in settings.json (not separate files for small datasets)

Branch Configuration¶

The .branch-config.json file at the project root defines port and path settings for each branch:

{
  "defaultBranch": "main",
  "branches": {
    "main": {
      "httpPort": 5010,
      "httpsPort": 5011,
      "dataPath": "./MockData",
      "logPath": "./MockData/Logs/Server"
    },
    "main1": {
      "httpPort": 5020,
      "httpsPort": 5021,
      "dataPath": "./MockData-main1",
      "logPath": "./MockData-main1/Logs/Server"
    }
  },
  "fallbackConfig": {
    "httpPort": 5000,
    "httpsPort": 5001,
    "dataPath": "./MockData"
  }
}

Benefits: - Run multiple server instances simultaneously (different worktrees) - Isolated data per branch - No port conflicts - Automatic configuration based on current branch

Environment Variables¶

The server can be configured via environment variables (useful for Docker, CI/CD):

Variable	Description	Default
`CESIVI_DATA_PATH`	Root path for mock data	`./MockData`
`CESIVI_HTTP_PORT`	HTTP port	`5000` (or branch config)
`CESIVI_HTTPS_PORT`	HTTPS port	`5001` (or branch config)
`CESIVI_LOG_PATH`	Log file directory	`{DataPath}/Logs/Server`
`CESIVI_SHOW_CONSOLE`	Show console window	(empty = auto)

Example:

$env:CESIVI_DATA_PATH = "R:/MockData"
$env:CESIVI_HTTP_PORT = 8080
cd Cesivi.Server
dotnet run

Troubleshooting¶

Port Already in Use¶

Error: Failed to bind to address http://127.0.0.1:5000

Solution: - Check if another server instance is running - Change port in .branch-config.json or via environment variable - Kill process using the port: netstat -ano | findstr :5000

Mock Data Not Found¶

Warning: Mock data not found - generating...

Solution: - Let the script generate it automatically - Or manually run Generate-BasicMockData.ps1 first - Check CESIVI_DATA_PATH points to correct location

Permission Denied Writing Files¶

Error: Access to the path 'C:\...\MockData\...' is denied

Solution: - Run PowerShell as Administrator - Use a path you have write permissions to (e.g., R:/MockData) - Check folder isn't locked by another process

Server Crashes on Startup¶

Check logs in {DataPath}/Logs/Server/cesivi-{date}.log for details.

Common issues: - Invalid JSON in mock data files - Missing required fields in #settings.json - Corrupted binary files

Advanced Usage¶

Custom Data Generation¶

You can modify the scripts to create custom data structures:

# Edit Generate-BasicMockData.ps1
# Change GUIDs, add more lists, modify field schemas, etc.

# Then generate
.\Generate-BasicMockData.ps1 -OutputPath "./MockData-Custom"

Combining Datasets¶

# Generate basic data
.\Generate-BasicMockData.ps1 -OutputPath "./MockData"

# Generate medium data to same location (adds more site collections)
.\Generate-MediumMockData.ps1 -OutputPath "./MockData"

# Now you have both /sites/basic AND /sites/intranet, /sites/projects, /sites/hr

Automated Testing¶

# In your test script
$testDataPath = Join-Path $env:TEMP "SPMockTest-$(New-Guid)"
.\Generate-BasicMockData.ps1 -OutputPath $testDataPath

# Start server in background
$env:CESIVI_DATA_PATH = $testDataPath
$env:CESIVI_HTTP_PORT = 9999
$serverProcess = Start-Process -FilePath "dotnet" -ArgumentList "run" `
    -WorkingDirectory "./Cesivi.Server" -PassThru

# Run tests
Invoke-Pester -Path "./Tests"

# Cleanup
Stop-Process $serverProcess
Remove-Item $testDataPath -Recurse -Force

Script Comparison¶

Feature	Basic	Medium	Sample (Legacy)
Site Collections	1	3	1
Subwebs	0	2 levels	0
Lists	1	4	1
Libraries	1	3	2
Files	10	23	1
Users	2	5	1
Fixed IDs	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Term Store	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
Best For	Unit tests, quick start	Integration tests	Legacy compatibility

README.md - Export scripts overview
../_docs/QUICK_START.md - Getting started guide
../_docs/DEPLOYMENT_GUIDE.md - Production deployment
../.branch-config.json - Branch configuration
../README.md - Project overview

Last Updated: 2025-11-20 Version: 1.0

Cesivi Data Generation Guide¶

Quick Start¶

Scripts Overview¶

1. Generate-BasicMockData.ps1¶

2. Generate-MediumMockData.ps1¶

3. Start-MockServerWithData.ps1¶

4. Generate-SampleMockData.ps1¶

Common Workflows¶

First Time Setup¶

Quick Start (Recommended)¶

Testing with Fresh Data¶

Working with Multiple Branches¶

Data Storage Structure¶

Branch Configuration¶

Environment Variables¶

Troubleshooting¶

Port Already in Use¶

Mock Data Not Found¶

Permission Denied Writing Files¶

Server Crashes on Startup¶

Advanced Usage¶

Custom Data Generation¶

Combining Datasets¶

Automated Testing¶

Script Comparison¶

Related Documentation¶