# Generate rows Acquire / generate generate rows: sequences, date ranges, constants, typed-in data Page: ## Status Runs as a SQL step. arcform carries it as a `sql:` step today. ## The DuckDB step a date spine ```sql CREATE TEMP TABLE result AS SELECT d::DATE AS day FROM generate_series(DATE '2026-01-01', DATE '2026-01-07', INTERVAL 1 DAY) t(d); SELECT * FROM result; SELECT CASE WHEN ((SELECT count(*) = 7 AND min(day) = DATE '2026-01-01' AND max(day) = DATE '2026-01-07' FROM result)) THEN 'as expected' ELSE error('the spine is not the seven days asked for') END AS verdict; ``` The statement builds its own data. It needs nothing installed beyond DuckDB itself. ## Variants - Paste rows from the clipboard: Start a table from text or data pasted from the clipboard. - [Generate a range of dates](https://meridian.online/operations/generate-rows/generate-a-range-of-dates): Emit one row per date or timestamp between a start and an end at a chosen grain. - Load an example or stored dataset: Emit a built-in example or test table, or a static data set kept with the project. - [Generate a series of numbers](https://meridian.online/operations/generate-rows/generate-a-series-of-numbers): Emit one row per integer from a start to an end by a step. - Other generated inputs: Emit a single special-purpose input, such as the current time, a drawn map shape or a holiday list. - [Generate random or synthetic data](https://meridian.online/operations/generate-rows/generate-random-or-synthetic-data): Generate rows or columns of random, fake or simulated values for testing. - [Emit a fixed number of rows](https://meridian.online/operations/generate-rows/emit-a-fixed-number-of-rows): Emit N empty, blank or identical rows, or an empty table with set columns. - [Type rows in by hand](https://meridian.online/operations/generate-rows/type-rows-in-by-hand): Build a small table from values written into the step or query itself. ## What other tools call it Meridian's classification; an independent blind rating agreed on 86.2% of 312 rows (exact class, version 2). - Alteryx Designer: [`Date Time Now`](https://help.alteryx.com/current/en/designer/tools/in-out-tools/date-time-now-tool.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Alteryx Designer: [`Map Input`](https://help.alteryx.com/current/en/designer/tools/in-out-tools/map-input-tool.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Alteryx Designer: [`Synthetic Input`](https://help.alteryx.com/current/en/designer/tools/ai-tools/synthetic-input-tool.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Alteryx Designer: [`Text Input`](https://help.alteryx.com/current/en/designer/tools/in-out-tools/text-input-tool.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Bruin: [`bruin.date_spine(datepart, start_date, end_date)`](https://getbruin.com/docs/bruin/assets/templating/macros.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Bruin: [`bruin.generate_series(upper_bound)`](https://getbruin.com/docs/bruin/assets/templating/macros.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache DataFusion: [`VALUES lists`](https://datafusion.apache.org/user-guide/features.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache DataFusion: [`table functions (range, generate_series)`](https://datafusion.apache.org/user-guide/sql/select.html) (read 2026-09-27) - dbt-utils: [`date_spine`](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dbt-labs/dbt-utils/main/README.md) (read 2026-09-27) - dbt-utils: [`generate_series`](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dbt-labs/dbt-utils/main/README.md) (read 2026-09-27) - DuckDB: [`VALUES (clause)`](https://duckdb.org/docs/current/sql/query_syntax/values) (read 2026-09-27) - DuckDB: `generate_series` (read 2026-09-27) - DuckDB: `range` (read 2026-09-27) - DuckDB: `repeat` (read 2026-09-27) - DuckDB: `repeat_row` (read 2026-09-27) - DuckDB: `test_all_types` (read 2026-09-27) - DuckDB: `test_vector_types` (read 2026-09-27) - Duckle: [`Clipboard`](https://github.com/slothflowlabs/duckle/blob/f85f8960edfb6efbf4cb89d58a7b32e16df0e867/website/docs/components.html) (read 2026-09-25) - Duckle: [`Inline Rows`](https://github.com/slothflowlabs/duckle/blob/f85f8960edfb6efbf4cb89d58a7b32e16df0e867/frontend/src/workflow-ui/palette-data.ts) (read 2026-09-25) - EasyMorph: [`Calendar`](https://help.easymorph.com/doku.php?id=transformations:calendar) (read 2026-09-27) - EasyMorph: [`Create list`](https://help.easymorph.com/doku.php?id=transformations:createlist) (read 2026-09-27) - EasyMorph: [`Sandbox`](https://help.easymorph.com/doku.php?id=transformations:sandbox) (read 2026-09-27) - EasyMorph: [`Sequence`](https://help.easymorph.com/doku.php?id=transformations:sequence) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache Hop: [`Data Grid`](https://hop.apache.org/manual/latest/pipeline/transforms/datagrid.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache Hop: [`Data set input`](https://hop.apache.org/manual/latest/pipeline/transforms/datasetinput.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache Hop: [`Fake data`](https://hop.apache.org/manual/latest/pipeline/transforms/fake.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache Hop: [`Generate Random Value`](https://hop.apache.org/manual/latest/pipeline/transforms/generaterandomvalue.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache Hop: [`Row Generator`](https://hop.apache.org/manual/latest/pipeline/transforms/rowgenerator.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Ibis: [`DummyTable`](https://github.com/ibis-project/ibis/blob/05d2b293344e86cb41c1a426071734f7e270335a/ibis/expr/operations/relations.py) (read 2026-09-27) - Ibis: [`IntegerRange`](https://github.com/ibis-project/ibis/blob/05d2b293344e86cb41c1a426071734f7e270335a/ibis/expr/operations/arrays.py) (read 2026-09-27) - Ibis: [`TimestampRange`](https://github.com/ibis-project/ibis/blob/05d2b293344e86cb41c1a426071734f7e270335a/ibis/expr/operations/arrays.py) (read 2026-09-27) - KNIME Analytics Platform: [`Data Generator`](https://api.hub.knime.com/nodes/*wgKGTmxpx4F7BiFm?details=full) (read 2026-09-27) - KNIME Analytics Platform: [`Date&Time Range Creator`](https://api.hub.knime.com/nodes/*Pn411WnBcRXagLfL?details=full) (read 2026-09-27) - KNIME Analytics Platform: [`Example Data Reader`](https://api.hub.knime.com/nodes/*JeNbSP_fOKAuL-CO?details=full) (read 2026-09-27) - KNIME Analytics Platform: [`KNIME Data Generation (extension)`](https://api.hub.knime.com/extensions/org.knime.features.datageneration) (read 2026-09-27) - KNIME Analytics Platform: [`Table Creator`](https://api.hub.knime.com/nodes/*1b77m5y4nbX8OEmg?details=full) (read 2026-09-27) - KNIME Analytics Platform: [`Table Structure Creator`](https://api.hub.knime.com/nodes/*4FYTUeYe0PWfhxoP?details=full) (read 2026-09-27) - mlpack: [`mlpack_gmm_generate`](https://www.mlpack.org/doc/user/bindings/cli.html) (read 2026-09-27) - mlpack: [`mlpack_hmm_generate`](https://www.mlpack.org/doc/user/bindings/cli.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache NiFi: [`DuplicateFlowFile`](https://nifi.apache.org/components/org.apache.nifi.processors.standard.DuplicateFlowFile/) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache NiFi: [`GenerateFlowFile`](https://nifi.apache.org/components/org.apache.nifi.processors.standard.GenerateFlowFile/) (read 2026-09-27) - Apache NiFi: [`GenerateRecord`](https://nifi.apache.org/components/org.apache.nifi.processors.standard.GenerateRecord/) (read 2026-09-27) - OpenRefine: [`Clipboard`](https://openrefine.org/docs/manual/starting#clipboard) (read 2026-09-27) - Pentaho Data Integration: [`Data Grid`](https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/9.3-data-integration/pdi-transformation-steps-reference-overview) (read 2026-09-27) - Pentaho Data Integration: [`Generate Rows`](https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/9.3-data-integration/pdi-transformation-steps-reference-overview) (read 2026-09-27) - Pentaho Data Integration: [`Generate random credit card numbers`](https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/9.3-data-integration/pdi-transformation-steps-reference-overview) (read 2026-09-27) - Pentaho Data Integration: [`Generate random value`](https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/9.3-data-integration/pdi-transformation-steps-reference-overview) (read 2026-09-27) - Polars: [`DataFrame.clear`](https://docs.pola.rs/api/python/stable/reference/dataframe/modify_select.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Polars: [`Functions: range and sequence generators (group)`](https://docs.pola.rs/api/python/stable/reference/expressions/functions.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Polars: [`polars.testing.parametric (family)`](https://docs.pola.rs/api/python/stable/reference/testing.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Polars: [`select`](https://docs.pola.rs/api/python/stable/reference/expressions/functions.html) (read 2026-09-27) - Power Query M: [`#table`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powerquery-m/table-functions#table-construction) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Build Simulation`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/extensions/Operator%20Toolbox/blending/build_simulation.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Create Document`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/extensions/Text%20Processing/create_document.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Create ExampleSet`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/create_exampleset.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Churn Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_churn_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Data (ARIMA)`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/modeling/time_series/utility/generate_data_arima.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Direct Mailing Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_direct_mailing_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Massive Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_massive_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Multi-Label Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_multi_label_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Nominal Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_nominal_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Sales Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_sales_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Team Profit Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_team_profit_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Transaction Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_transaction_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Transfer Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_transfer_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Generate Up-Selling Data`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/utility/random_data_generation/generate_up_selling_data.html) (read 2026-09-27) - RapidMiner Studio: [`Get Holidays`](https://docs.rapidminer.com/latest/studio/operators/extensions/Operator%20Toolbox/blending/get_holidays.html) (read 2026-09-27) - SQLMesh: [`@DATE_SPINE`](https://github.com/SQLMesh/sqlmesh/blob/23b237cea7218cc8f338b89c14f0957394a0003b/docs/concepts/macros/sqlmesh_macros.md) (read 2026-09-27) - Talend: [`tFixedFlowInput`](https://help.qlik.com/talend/en-US/components/8.0/tfixedflowinput/tfixedflowinput-component) (read 2026-09-27) - Talend: [`tRowGenerator`](https://help.qlik.com/talend/en-US/components/8.0/trowgenerator/trowgenerator-component) (read 2026-09-27) - VisiData: [`open-new`](https://github.com/saulpw/visidata/blob/7609212ec2febafa9caba7183cbebfaf49627909/visidata/sheets.py#L1323) (read 2026-09-23) - Yggdrasil Decision Forests: [`synthetic_dataset`](https://github.com/google/yggdrasil-decision-forests/blob/0a54b57c95ff0cf42ecf0310ace0513a4f32cb65/yggdrasil_decision_forests/cli/utils/synthetic_dataset.cc) (read 2026-09-27)