# Instance variable shortcuts to fixture data are not working?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/instance-variable-shortcuts-to-fixture-data-are-not-working/55505>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 21, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/instance-variable-shortcuts-to-fixture-data-are-not-working/55505 "2006-03-21T18:39:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sserdyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sserdyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sserdyuk)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/instance-variable-shortcuts-to-fixture-data-are-not-working/55505/1 "2006-03-21T18:39:05Z")

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Hi,

I am following the Agile Web D. with Rails book and it looks  
like either book is wrong or edge rails are broken.

I am trying to access fixture data through instance shortcuts. I.e.  
customers.yml through @customers and it is not assigned.

Anybody knows why?

Sergei

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sserdyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sserdyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sserdyuk)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/instance-variable-shortcuts-to-fixture-data-are-not-working/55505/2 "2006-03-21T18:39:37Z")

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If you have the book, look at pages 148-149 to see what I am talking  
about

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sserdyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sserdyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sserdyuk)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/instance-variable-shortcuts-to-fixture-data-are-not-working/55505/3 "2006-03-21T18:42:47Z")

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The way the fixtures in test changed sometime, for speed improvements.

They should now be accessed as customers(:id), I think.

Or there is an option you can change in the test\_helper.rb

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sserdyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sserdyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sserdyuk)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/instance-variable-shortcuts-to-fixture-data-are-not-working/55505/4 "2006-03-21T19:59:57Z")

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Thank you Oliver, you are right.