Mixing in spec helper methods

nickh · November 12, 2008, 1:25am

I’ve written a module for my specs that contains a helper method, and
am mixing the module into my specs with #include . It seems that the
method must be called with an #it block. If it isn’t, this error occurs:

… in method_missing': undefined method it_should_behave_like_an_action_that_sets_the_flash_notice’ for
Spec::Rails::Example::ControllerExampleGroup::Subclass_1:Class
(NoMethodError) from ./spec/controllers/properties_controller_spec.rb:8

Is there a way to call my helper method from outside of an #it block?
Here’s the code:
http://pastie.org/312680

Thanks!
Nick

nickh · November 12, 2008, 1:31am

Nick H. wrote:

Here’s the code:
http://pastie.org/312680

Thanks!
Nick

rspec-users mailing list
[email protected]
http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
It looks like you want those methods in your module as class method, not
instance methods. Try extending, not including, your module (extend
AuthSpecHelpers.) You might want to read my post about creating rspec
macros as well:
http://www.benmabey.com/2008/06/08/writing-macros-in-rspec/

-Ben

nickh · November 12, 2008, 1:40am

Nick H. [email protected] writes:

Is there a way to call my helper method from outside of an #it block?
Here’s the code:
http://pastie.org/312680

You want extend instead of include.

Also, if you want to share this among many example groups, you can do it
in the config block instead of extending it in every single example
group:

Spec::Runner.configure do |config|
config.extend AuthSpecHelpers
end

You can even do it for particular example group types if you want:

Spec::Runner.configure do |config|
config.extend AuthSpecHelpers, :type => :controller
end

Pat

nickh · November 12, 2008, 9:45pm

On 2008-11-11, at 19:31, Ben M. wrote:

properties_controller_spec.rb:8
not instance methods. Try extending, not including, your module
(extend AuthSpecHelpers.) You might want to read my post about
creating rspec macros as well:
http://www.benmabey.com/2008/06/08/writing-macros-in-rspec/

-Ben

That was post was gold, Ben. It cleared up most of my questions and
confusion regarding #include, #extend, and mix-ins. Thanks, mate.

nickh · November 12, 2008, 9:56pm

On 2008-11-11, at 19:39, Pat M. wrote:

./spec/controllers/properties_controller_spec.rb:8
group:

Pat

That’s convenient. What I’ve done is add this to the beginning:
require ‘spec/shared/auth_spec_helpers’

and add this to the ‘config’ block:
config.extend AuthSpecHelpers, :type => :controller

of spec_helper.rb . Is that a suitable, or preferred, method of
extending the helper methods in the AuthSpecHelpers module to
controller specs?

Thanks,
Nick

nickh · November 12, 2008, 1:59am

On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 6:39 PM, Pat M. [email protected] wrote:

(NoMethodError) from
group:

Spec::Runner.configure do |config|
config.extend AuthSpecHelpers
end

You can even do it for particular example group types if you want:

Spec::Runner.configure do |config|
config.extend AuthSpecHelpers, :type => :controller
end

Note that config.extend was only added recently, in rspec-1.1.9.

Cheers,
David

nickh · November 12, 2008, 9:59pm

On 2008-11-11, at 19:49, David C. wrote:

David
Thanks for remembering that I’m using an old version of RSpec and
RSpec-Rails, mate That was enough of a reason to upgrade, so now
I’m running 1.1.11 of the plugins. Hoorah!
-Nick

nickh · November 12, 2008, 10:09pm

On 2008-11-11, at 19:31, Ben M. wrote:

properties_controller_spec.rb:8
http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
It looks like you want those methods in your module as class method,
not instance methods. Try extending, not including, your module
(extend AuthSpecHelpers.) You might want to read my post about
creating rspec macros as well:
http://www.benmabey.com/2008/06/08/writing-macros-in-rspec/

-Ben

After digesting that post again, especially the contents of
#self.included , I noticed that one could alternatively do this:

module AssignMacro
def self.extended(receiver)
receiver.extend ExampleGroupMethods
receiver.send :include, ExampleMethods
end
end

describe UserPhotosController do
describe “GET ‘users/1/photos/2’” do
extend AssignMacro
# …
end
end

Is one approach more preferable? Or should one do this so that both
“include AssignMacro” and “extend AssignMacro” give the same, desired,
result?:

module AssignMacro
def self.included(receiver)
receiver.extend ExampleGroupMethods
receiver.send :include, ExampleMethods
end

class << self
alias_method :extended, :included
end
end

Thanks for your input, guys.
-Nick

nickh · November 13, 2008, 7:52pm

On 2008-11-12, at 16:38, Ben M. wrote:

would be:
macors… likes so:
module’s ExampleMethods and ExampleGroupMethods modules respectively.

The ‘use_macro’ is probably more clear than the hooks. Just a
thought.

-Ben

http://olabini.com/blog/2008/09/evil-hook-methods/

The “evil hook methods” article explained exactly how I was feeling.
Everyone’s different, but I feel dirty extending the receiver in
#included , and vice versa. I’ve decided to go along with your first
suggested alternative:

spec/spec_helper.rb

…snip…

Spec::Runner.configure do |config|

…snip…

config.extend AuthSpecHelpers::ExampleGroupMethods, :type
=> :controller
config.include AuthSpecHelpers::ExampleMethods, :type
=> :controller
end

Thanks again for taking the time to explain all of this, Ben. I really
learned a lot. Cheers,
Nick

nickh · November 12, 2008, 10:38pm

Nick H. wrote:

(NoMethodError) from ./spec/controllers/properties_controller_spec.rb:8
http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
# ...
receiver.send :include, ExampleMethods
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[email protected]
http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users

Some people would say that using the included or extended module hooks
like that are evil.[1] That said it is a very common ruby idiom even if
it is bad. If you are going to use the evil idiom then I would suggest
using include and not extend since it is the idiom.

Another way to do it that wouldn’t take advantage of the evil hooks
would be:

describe UserPhotosController do
describe “GET ‘users/1/photos/2’” do
extend AssignMacro::ExampleGroupMethods
include AssignMacro::ExampleMethods
# …
end

Of course that is somewhat annoying to type everywhere. So perhaps you
could add another example group method that would mix in macors… likes
so:

describe UserPhotosController do
describe “GET ‘users/1/photos/2’” do
use_macro AssignMacro
# …
end
end

The ‘use_maco’ would be a module that you mix in onto all rspec’s
example group methods that would simply include and extend the given
module’s ExampleMethods and ExampleGroupMethods modules respectively.

The ‘use_macro’ is probably more clear than the hooks. Just a thought.

-Ben

http://olabini.com/blog/2008/09/evil-hook-methods/