Error on nil.build

Testing RSpec
1

I can’t figure out why I am getting an error for one of the tests below:

describe AccountsController, “POST” do
before :each do
@user = mock_model(User)
@account = mock_model(Account, :id => 1, :valid => true, :save =>
true, :users => mock(“users”, :build => @user))
Account.should_receive(:new).and_return(@account)
end

def do_post
post “create”, {:account => {}, :user => {}}
end

it “should make the relation to the users” do
@account.should_receive(:users).and_return
do_post
end

#this test passes
it “should receive the save method call” do
@account.should_receive(:save).and_return(true)
do_post
end
end

#Controller code
def create
@account = Account.new(params[:account])
@user = @account.users.build(params[:user])

if @account.save
  #log the user in to allow them to be directed to their control

panel
self.current_user = User.authenticate(params[:user][:login],
params[:user][:password])
redirect_to admin_account_url(@account)
else
render :action => “new”
end
end

It is this test that fails
it “should make the relation to the users” do
@account.should_receive(:users).and_return
do_post
end

with the following error:

NoMethodError in ‘AccountsController POST should make the relation to
the users’
You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it!
The error occurred while evaluating nil.build

I thought that:
@account = mock_model(Account, …, :users => mock(“users”, :build =>
@user))
would allow the call to users to stubbed out and pass the test.

What is it that I am missing?

Thanks for the help

2

Ooops there was a typo on the method causing the error. It should be:

It is this test that fails
it “should make the relation to the users” do
@account.should_receive(:users) # removed the .and_return
do_post
end

Is there a better way to test that the data is being loaded into the
related models properly?