Ruby's faker gem as a source of random spinning wheels

When most Ruby developers hear about faker, they immediately think of automated testing. The gem is widely used to generate mock data—names, addresses, phone numbers, and even lorem ipsum paragraphs—to seed test databases and make fixtures look more realistic. However, for years, I've been wanting to use faker for more than just a testing tool. And, with a little creativity, it has become a source of randomness suitable for fun applications like spinning wheels. Hooray! Who would have thought about that :).

Take a look at our directory of random wheels. Each wheel is built around a theme - a theme that's kindly provided by faker. Whether it’s colors, countries, or foods. These wheels thrive on variety, and variety is exactly what faker delivers.

This highlights an underappreciated aspect of faker: it’s a data generator, not just a test helper. If you think of a wheel as a collection of random values, then faker is a ready-made source. Its breadth of data - spanning from pop culture to science - makes it a treasure chest for a website like Spin The Wheel Of Names.

The practical applications go far beyond testing. Educational projects can benefit from themed wheels populated with relevant categories. Party games can draw from faker’s playful datasets. Even simple decision-making tools can become more engaging when powered by its randomness.

I've limited each "faker based" wheel to 24 random items. You can always add more. All faker defined options are listed below each wheel. For example here's a wheel with quotes from Dune. If you need custom ones - no worries - simply add them to the right panel. Why 24 items? - the current wheel has 8 primary colours, and it makes for a good looking wheel with enough variety.

In the end, next time you’re building a side project or experimenting with playful UX, consider reaching for faker. It might just turn your spinning wheel into something surprising, engaging, and delightfully unpredictable.

Thanks,

Stan