# Rake test\_unit is deleting my pre-loaded test data **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 22, 2005, 7:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566 "2005-11-22T07:22:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/digidigo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 7:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566/1 "2005-11-22T07:22:18Z")
I am trying to set up my unit tests with a database that is already populated with data. I am noticing that the testing infrastructure is deleting all this data before running my tests. Presumably to start from scratch and load fixtures. So, I must be doing something wrong. In test\_helper.rb I have these lines: # Turn off transactional fixtures if you’re working with MyISAM tables in MySQL self.use\_transactional\_fixtures = true # Instantiated fixtures are slow, but give you @david self.use\_instantiated\_fixtures = false # The data we want is in the database already self.pre\_loaded\_fixtures = true Any ideas what I am doing wrong? Any suggestion on the best way to accomplish this? Thanks, Dave ---
**Author:** ![digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/digidigo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566/2 "2005-11-22T22:16:28Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Nov 21, 2005, at 10:20 PM, David C. wrote: > self.use\_transactional\_fixtures = true > > # Instantiated fixtures are slow, but give you @david > > self.use\_instantiated\_fixtures = false > > # The data we want is in the database already > > self.pre\_loaded\_fixtures = true You don’t need this line. Ignore the preloaded fixtures; they don’t do what they mean and will be deprecated shortly. I also have a prepopulated test database. All you need is to use transactional fixtures and omit any “fixtures :foo, :bar” declarations in your test cases. I’m guessing you still have calls to fixtures. Best, jeremy -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (Darwin) iD8DBQFDg4oQAQHALep9HFYRAq/6AJ482SNHvShxcnmBnfWHvZjlbGHS2gCgoiUg 1TbWXKdFhscf0sE+NnHz944= =n/gQ -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ---
**Author:** ![digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/digidigo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566/3 "2005-11-23T02:02:06Z")
On 11/22/05, Jeremy K. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > these lines: > > You don’t need this line. Ignore the preloaded fixtures; they don’t > do what they mean and will be deprecated shortly. > > I also have a prepopulated test database. All you need is to use > transactional fixtures and omit any “fixtures :foo, :bar” > declarations in your test cases. I’m guessing you still have calls > to fixtures. > > Best, > jeremy So it is an all or nothing kind of thing? I can either use a pre-loaded database or fixtures but not both? Thanks, Dave ---
**Author:** ![digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/digidigo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566/4 "2005-11-23T03:06:26Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Nov 22, 2005, at 4:59 PM, David C. wrote: > So it is an all or nothing kind of thing? I can either use a > pre-loaded database or fixtures but not both? Yes. pre\_loaded\_fixtures is for preloading your fixture files by calling Fixtures.create\_fixtures directly; it is not for a preloaded database. Preloading the database doesn’t offer you much if you’re using fixture files anyway. Why not just use transactional fixtures and be done with it? jeremy -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (Darwin) iD8DBQFDg85YAQHALep9HFYRAqVYAJ0apUexioYeF/2Ogc07cJo03du1CACgszeo czJiNZ29S5ZDMOrkc0brew0= =YCMm -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ---
**Author:** ![digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/digidigo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566/5 "2005-11-23T03:42:38Z")
On 11/22/05, Jeremy K. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Fixtures.create\_fixtures directly; it is not for a preloaded database. > > Preloading the database doesn’t offer you much if you’re using > fixture files anyway. Why not just use transactional fixtures and be > done with it? > > jeremy I am not positive about the details as this task was just given to me, however, the belief is that the foreign key relationships are complex enough that populating the db through fixture files would be overly complex. Since we already have data for a test DB why not just use it? I still plan on using the transactional support. I can right? I don’t want to purge and reload all the data for each run of the tests. Dave ---
**Author:** ![digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/digidigo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566/6 "2005-11-23T03:58:42Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Nov 22, 2005, at 6:42 PM, David C. wrote: > > pre\_loaded\_fixtures is for preloading your fixture files by calling > > however, the belief is that the foreign key relationships are complex > > enough that populating the db through fixture files would be overly > > complex. Since we already have data for a test DB why not just use > > it? I thought you just said you are using fixtures, but preloading them in a rake task. If you aren’t, how do you expect foobars(:fixture\_name) to work? It uses a name from the fixture file which is not present in the database. > I still plan on using the transactional support. I can right? I > don’t want to purge and reload all the data for each run of the tests. Yes. For fixture naming, I just set some instance variables in my test’s setup method: def setup @foo, @bar, @baz, @qux = Foo.find(1,2,3,4) end You could also make a convenience reader like: def foos(name) Foo.find\_by\_name(name) end jeremy -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (Darwin) iD8DBQFDg9ovAQHALep9HFYRAjiFAKCOcbIXxTfJJj7+hKvAy+vK7PCawACeLFnD JZyiJaT1Ilm/CNKRjHbu9xc= =ovWc -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ---
**Author:** ![digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/digidigo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 7:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566/7 "2005-11-23T07:48:08Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Nov 22, 2005, at 8:44 PM, David C. wrote: > All of this makes me think that I am doing something “un-standard.” Aha-- I do this too. It’s nonstandard, but it works great! Yes, you need to change your rake tasks. Just make your test\_\* tasks depend on the :environment task instead of :clone\_structure\_to\_test. Then it won’t touch your db before running the tests. jeremy -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (Darwin) iD8DBQFDhBCUAQHALep9HFYRAn8FAJ0XSqUHOPgsBDx2MmIG0QTEjmF2wwCglESo JQsfnS7N1RtxiEgxZagRxa8= =tsvK -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ---
**Author:** ![digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@digidigo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/digidigo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 5:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-unit-is-deleting-my-pre-loaded-test-data/48566/8 "2005-11-23T05:47:20Z")
> > > > > > > it? > > I thought you just said you are using fixtures, but preloading them in > a rake task. If you aren’t, how do you expect foobars(:fixture\_name) > to work? It uses a name from the fixture file which is not present in > the database. Perhaps I am confusing some terminology here. I have some tests that do not indicate that they need fixture data. The test assumes that the test database is already populated with the data that the test will work from. After looking at the rake files, I am seeing that it is the rake dependencies of the task test\_units that purge the test database. And since I don’t have fixture files, the DB is basically empty as I run my tests. If I want to do it this way then I think I need to create my own test\_units task that does not have this dependency. All of this makes me think that I am doing something “un-standard.” Dave