Rake Task for Database Population

app.rake

------------ From Rake Task

namespace :app do

  # Checks and ensures task is not run in production.
  task :ensure_development_environment => :environment do
    if Rails.env.production?
      raise "\nI'm sorry, I can't do that.\n(You're asking me to drop your production database.)"
    end
  end
  
  # Custom install for developement environment
  desc "Install"
  task :install => [:ensure_development_environment, "db:migrate", "db:test:prepare", "db:seed", "app:populate", "spec"]

  # Custom reset for developement environment
  desc "Reset"
  task :reset => [:ensure_development_environment, "db:drop", "db:create", "db:migrate", "db:test:prepare", "db:seed", "app:populate"]

  # Populates development data
  desc "Populate the database with development data."
  task :populate => :environment do
  	puts "#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}\nChecking Environment... The database will be cleared of all content before populating.\n#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}"
    # Removes content before populating with data to avoid duplication
    Rake::Task['db:reset'].invoke

    # INSERT BELOW

    [
      {:first_name => "Darth",     :last_name => "Vader"},
      {:first_name => "Commander", :last_name => "Praji"},
      {:first_name => "Biggs",     :last_name => "Darklighter"},
      {:first_name => "Luke",      :last_name => "Skywalker"},
      {:first_name => "Han",       :last_name => "Solo"},
    ].each do |attributes|
      Person.find_or_create_by_first_name_and_last_name(attributes)
    end

    # INSERT ABOVE

    puts "#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}\nThe database has been populated!\n#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}"
  end

end

------------ Using ActiveRecord Migrations

require 'active_record'
require 'yaml'

namespace :app do

  # Checks and ensures task is not run in production.
  task :ensure_development_environment => :environment do
    if Rails.env.production?
      raise "\nI'm sorry, I can't do that.\n(You're asking me to drop your production database.)"
    end
  end
  
  # Custom install for developement environment
  desc "Install"
  task :install => [:ensure_development_environment, "db:migrate", "db:test:prepare", "db:seed", "app:populate", "spec"]

  # Custom reset for developement environment
  desc "Reset"
  task :reset => [:ensure_development_environment, "db:drop", "db:create", "db:migrate", "db:test:prepare", "db:seed", "app:populate"]

  # Populates development data
  desc "Populate the database with development data using ActiveRecord Migrations.\n(Target specific version with VERSION=x)"
  task :populate => :environment do
  	puts "#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}\nChecking Environment... The database will be cleared of all content before populating.\n#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}"
    # Removes content before populating with data to avoid duplication
    Rake::Task['db:reset'].invoke
    
    # Rake using Rails Migrations
    dbconf = YAML::load(File.open('config/database.yml'))
    ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection(dbconf[::Rails.env])
    ActiveRecord::Base.logger = Logger.new(File.open('database.log', 'a'))
    ActiveRecord::Migrator.migrate('db/development_data/', ENV["VERSION"] ? ENV["VERSION"].to_i : nil )
    ActiveRecord::Migrator.migrate('../share/current/db/development_data/', ENV["VERSION"] ? ENV["VERSION"].to_i : nil )

    puts "#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}\nThe database has been populated!\n#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}"
  end

end

------------ Using CSV Files

require 'fastercsv'

namespace :app do

  # Checks and ensures task is not run in production.
  task :ensure_development_environment => :environment do
    if Rails.env.production?
      raise "\nI'm sorry, I can't do that.\n(You're asking me to drop your production database.)"
    end
  end
  
  # Custom install for developement environment
  desc "Install"
  task :install => [:ensure_development_environment, "db:migrate", "db:test:prepare", "db:seed", "app:populate", "spec"]

  # Custom reset for developement environment
  desc "Reset"
  task :reset => [:ensure_development_environment, "db:drop", "db:create", "db:migrate", "db:test:prepare", "db:seed", "app:populate"]

  # Populates development data
  desc "Populate the database with development data using CSV files."
  task :populate => :environment do
  	puts "#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}\nChecking Environment... The database will be cleared of all content before populating.\n#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}"
    # Removes content before populating with data to avoid duplication
    Rake::Task['db:reset'].invoke

    # "Chuck J Hardy","[email protected]"
    # "John Doe","[email protected]"

    FasterCSV.foreach(Rails.root + 'lib/development_data/users.csv') do |row|
      name, email = row
      unless User.where(:email => email).count > 0
        puts "Adding #{name.titleize}:#{email.downcase} as a User"
        User.create!(:name => name.titleize, :email => email.downcase)
      end
    end

    puts "#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}\nThe database has been populated!\n#{'*'*(`tput cols`.to_i)}"
  end

end

Thank you :)

@ChuckJHardy --> thanks.