"""Generate the synthetic CSVs in this dataset. Every value is invented. Brands, model names, prices and dates are made up by a seeded random generator; nothing is real, scraped or copied. Re-running this script reproduces the files byte for byte: python make_data.py """ import csv import random from datetime import date, timedelta SEED = 20260927 BRANDS = ["Arvelo", "Brindlecore", "Corvane", "Duskmere", "Elmstead", "Fennix", "Glimmerly", "Halvorn"] CATEGORIES = { # category: (price range in USD, model-name stems) "cpu": ((79, 899), ["Vex", "Torrent", "Kestrel"]), "gpu": ((149, 1899), ["Auralis", "Nimbus", "Ember"]), "ssd": ((39, 549), ["Drift", "Slate", "Quill"]), "ram": ((29, 429), ["Pulse", "Lattice", "Ripple"]), "motherboard": ((89, 699), ["Keystone", "Harbor", "Trellis"]), "psu": ((49, 329), ["Volta", "Current", "Bastion"]), "monitor": ((119, 1299), ["Vista", "Prism", "Horizon"]), } STORES = ["north-depot", "harbor-outlet", "ridge-market", "online"] def hardware_prices(rng: random.Random) -> list[dict]: rows = [] seen = set() while len(rows) < 200: brand = rng.choice(BRANDS) category = rng.choice(sorted(CATEGORIES)) (lo, hi), stems = CATEGORIES[category] model = f"{rng.choice(stems)} {rng.choice('ABCDEFGHJKLMNPRSTXZ')}{rng.randint(1, 9)}{rng.choice(['', '0', '00', '50'])}" if (brand, model) in seen: continue seen.add((brand, model)) rows.append( { "id": len(rows) + 1, "brand": brand, "model": model, "category": category, "price_usd": f"{rng.uniform(lo, hi):.2f}", "release_year": rng.randint(2019, 2026), } ) return rows def price_observations(rng: random.Random, products: list[dict]) -> list[dict]: """A second, long-shaped table: price checks of some products over time.""" rows = [] start = date(2026, 1, 5) for n in range(120): p = rng.choice(products) base = float(p["price_usd"]) observed = start + timedelta(days=rng.randint(0, 250)) in_stock = rng.random() > 0.2 rows.append( { "observation_id": f"obs-{n + 1:04d}", "product_id": p["id"], "store": rng.choice(STORES), "observed_on": observed.isoformat(), "price_usd": f"{base * rng.uniform(0.85, 1.12):.2f}" if in_stock else "", "in_stock": "true" if in_stock else "false", } ) rows.sort(key=lambda r: (r["observed_on"], r["observation_id"])) return rows def write(path: str, rows: list[dict]) -> None: with open(path, "w", newline="", encoding="utf-8") as f: w = csv.DictWriter(f, fieldnames=list(rows[0]), lineterminator="\n") w.writeheader() w.writerows(rows) if __name__ == "__main__": rng = random.Random(SEED) products = hardware_prices(rng) write("hardware_prices.csv", products) write("price_observations.csv", price_observations(rng, products))