Forum: RSpec What is the pattern for testing a time argument using argument matcher

Say I do:

```ruby
object.method 5.days.ago
```

In the test I want to test using should_receive like:

```ruby
object.should_receive(:method).with(5.days.ago)
```

This will fail since two time objects aren't exact the same.

What is the general pattern for testing this in rspec?

Thanks

You can use things like Timecop.

I prefer to just stub Time.now:

timestamp = Time.now.to_i
Time.stub(:now).returns(Time.at(timestamp))



Best regards
Morten Mller Riis

On Jan 26, 2012, at 8:44 AM, Yi Wen wrote:

> ```
>
> This will fail since two time objects aren't exact the same.
>
> What is the general pattern for testing this in rspec?
>
> Thanks
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users@rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users

In general, it's a good idea not to "hard code" time within the code 
that uses it. There are many ways to avoid doing this:

1.) Pass in the time.

def method_that_uses_time(time)
  do_something_with_time(time)
end

it '...' do
  time = double('time')
  object.should_receive(:do_something_with_time).with(time)
  object.method_that_uses_time(time)
end

2.) Put the time in it's own method, and stub it.

def method_that_uses_time
  do_something_with_time(the_time)
end

def the_time; 5.days.ago end

it '...' do
  time = double('time')
  object.should_receive(:the_time).and_return(time)
  object.method_that_uses_time
end

And then there are gems like delorean and timecop, which "freeze" time.