Bogus is a fake data generator library for .NET languages including C#, F#, and VB.NET. It is fundamentally a C# port of the popular faker.js library and draws inspiration from FluentValidation's syntax sugar. The library is designed to help developers load databases, user interfaces, and applications with realistic fake data for testing purposes. It is available as a NuGet package and supports .NET Standard 1.3, .NET Standard 2.0, and .NET Framework 4.0 or higher.
The library provides multiple ways to generate fake data. Users can employ a fluent syntax approach inspired by FluentValidation, use the Faker facade directly, work with DataSets directly, or inherit from Faker<T>. This flexibility allows developers to choose the approach that best fits their coding style and project requirements. The fluent syntax approach is prominently featured in the documentation and examples, making it accessible to developers familiar with FluentValidation's API design patterns.
Bogus supports an extensive array of locales, covering over 40 different language and regional variants including English (with multiple regional variants like en_US, en_GB, en_AU), Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, and many others. The library intelligently defaults to English data sets when locale-specific data is unavailable, ensuring consistent functionality across different language configurations. The project includes a wiki page dedicated to helping contributors create new locales or update existing ones.
The repository shows strong adoption across significant projects and organizations. Notable users include Bitwarden Passwordless Server, Elasticsearch .NET Client (NEST), FluentValidation, Microsoft Windows-XAML Template10, Microsoft Learning resources for Azure Cosmos DB, Office 365 Development Training Content, and Microsoft Teams sample connectors. The project has received recognition from major platforms, including selection as an Amazon AWS .NET Open Source Fund Recipient in October 2024 and features in Microsoft documentation and Microsoft Build presentations.
The project offers both free and premium versions, with Bogus Premium providing additional extensions and superpowers. The maintainer actively encourages community support through GitHub sponsorships and accepts cryptocurrency donations. The library has been featured in multiple podcast episodes of .NET Rocks, YouTube videos, and numerous blog posts from community members, demonstrating its established position in the .NET testing and data generation landscape.
