Quick and Dirty Rails Seeding

gistfile1.rb

# Save as db/seed.rb
#
# Run with script/runner db/seed.rb

def unique_attributes
  {
    MyModel => [:name],
    MyOtherModel => [:category, :type]
  }
end

def seed(klass, attributes)
  conditions = unique_attributes[klass].inject({}) do |hsh, attribute|
    hsh[attribute] = attributes[attribute]
    hsh
  end
  if klass.find(:first, :conditions => conditions).nil?
    puts "Creating #{klass} #{attributes.inspect}"
    klass.create!(attributes)
  end
end

seed(MyModel, 
  :name => "Shirt",
  :price => 5.00,
  :order => 1)