# Failing functional tests when controllers work **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 22, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failing-functional-tests-when-controllers-work/129940 "2008-02-22T22:15:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pjmorse)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failing-functional-tests-when-controllers-work/129940/1 "2008-02-22T22:15:44Z")
I have three models (users, issues, retailers) and three corresponding controllers. In functional tests for all three controllers, I have the same problems: - Creating a record which should work, fails in the functional test. - Updating a record which should fail (invalid) succeeds (and therefore the test fails.) Other tests of these actions (e.g. a valid update, an invalid creation) work as expected. I am unable to recreate the problem in the console with the same data, even when using the test environment. I would suspect a bug in the controllers except that all three functional tests fail in the same way. Here’s a sample with users: def create # Creates a user with admin role @user = User.new(params[:user]) @user.role = “Admin” ``` if @user.save # Tests never reach this code flash[:notice] = "User successfully created" redirect_to :action => 'show', :id => @user.id else flash[:warning] = "Please try again." render :action => 'new' end ``` end and the test is… def test\_create # Supposed to succeed, but fails. old = User.count post :create, {:username =\> “testuser”, :password =\> ‘secret’, :password\_confirmation =\> ‘secret’, :email =\> ‘removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid’}, {:user =\> users(:admin1)} # Need an admin user in the session to allow this # n.b. there is a validation to check for presence of username, password, and email; also to check pw confirmation assert\_not\_nil assigns(:user) assert assigns(:user).is\_admin? assert\_response :redirect assert\_redirected\_to :action =\> “show”, :id =\> assigns(:user).id assert\_equal “User successfully created”, flash[:notice] assert\_equal old + 1, User.count end The test fails at the assert\_response :redirect, so it’s the @user.save which isn’t behaving as expected. The same thing happens in two other controllers, with two other models. Any ideas? pjm ---
**Author:** ![pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pjmorse)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failing-functional-tests-when-controllers-work/129940/2 "2008-02-22T22:38:47Z")
pjmorse wrote: > def create # Creates a user with admin role > @user = User.new(params[:user]) > @user.role = “Admin” > > ``` > if @user.save > # Tests never reach this code > flash[:notice] = "User successfully created" > redirect_to :action => 'show', :id => @user.id > else > flash[:warning] = "Please try again." > render :action => 'new' > end > > ``` > > end > > and the test is… > > def test\_create # Supposed to succeed, but fails. > old = User.count > post :create, {:username =\> “testuser”, :password =\> > ‘secret’, :password\_confirmation =\> ‘secret’, :email =\> > ‘removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid’}, {:user =\> users(:admin1)} # Need an admin user in > the session to allow this > > # n.b. there is a validation to check for presence of username, > Any ideas? > > pjm I think your error is before the save, in the test case, your :user is not passing in the required fields to populate a new user. Here is what you can do to verify this. 1. sudo gem install ruby-debug 2. insert: “debugger” a the top of your controller’s create method 3. run: rdebug test/script/ [] # you are now in the debugger… > cont # debugger starts on first line of the file, hit cont to go to your bp > irb # when you hit your bp > irb\> @user hth ilan ---
**Author:** ![pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pjmorse)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failing-functional-tests-when-controllers-work/129940/3 "2008-02-22T22:44:12Z")
pjmorse wrote: > ``` > if @user.save > # Tests never reach this code > > ``` Temporarily change that to @user.save! and read the error diagnostic? ---
**Author:** ![pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pjmorse)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failing-functional-tests-when-controllers-work/129940/4 "2008-02-22T22:47:33Z")
Phlip wrote: > pjmorse wrote: > > > ``` > > if @user.save > > # Tests never reach this code > > > > ``` > > Temporarily change that to @user.save! and read the error diagnostic? no need to even do that… just type @user and see what the debugger gives you… I believe that your password fields will not be set which therefore failed the validation tests in your model hth ilan ---
**Author:** ![pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@pjmorse](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pjmorse)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failing-functional-tests-when-controllers-work/129940/5 "2008-02-22T22:54:13Z")
Ilan, thanks for the ruby-debug tip, I’ll need that one of these days. For this one, I followed Phlip’s suggestion and switched to save!, which confirmed Ilan’s suggestion that the parameters were not correct. I needed to set the params to create a user object, e.g. ``` post :create, {:user => {:username => "testuser", :password => ``` ‘secret’, :password\_confirmation =\> ‘secret’, :email =\> ‘removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid’}}, {:user =\> users(:admin1)} …not sure yet how this will work with the update bug, but it should fix the save bug across all three tests. Thanks!