# Rake test:units failing **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-units-failing/154577 "2008-12-01T20:14:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mpathare)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-units-failing/154577/1 "2008-12-01T20:14:31Z")
Hello, I am a rails beginner and am having some trouble running the unit tests using rake. i am following the example in the simply rails 2 book. I have a simple model with one field “name” and a validation for name that it cannot be empty my test file looks like this 1. require ‘test\_helper’ 2. 3. class LadderTest \< ActiveSupport::TestCase 4. 5. def test\_create\_ladder\_name\_error 6. ``` l = Ladder.create(:name => nil) ``` 7. ``` assert l.error.on(:name) ``` 8. end 9. 10. end When I run rake test:units from the shell I get the following error rake aborted! You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! You might have expected an instance of ActiveRecord::Base. The error occurred while evaluating nil.[] I am running rails version 2.2.2 Does anyone know whats wrong? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mpathare)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-units-failing/154577/2 "2008-12-01T22:32:35Z")
On Dec 1, 2008, at 2:14 PM, Maulin P. wrote: > When I run rake test:units from the shell I get the following error > > rake aborted! > You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! > You might have expected an instance of ActiveRecord::Base. > The error occurred while evaluating nil.[] > > I am running rails version 2.2.2 > > Does anyone know whats wrong? Thanks. Perhaps you need a line between 6 & 7 with: ``` assert !l.valid? ``` Otherwise the error object associated to the model will not have been created. -Rob Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mpathare)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-units-failing/154577/3 "2008-12-02T01:05:43Z")
Rob B. wrote: > On Dec 1, 2008, at 2:14 PM, Maulin P. wrote: > > > When I run rake test:units from the shell I get the following error > > > > rake aborted! > > You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! > > You might have expected an instance of ActiveRecord::Base. > > The error occurred while evaluating nil.[] > > > > I am running rails version 2.2.2 > > > > Does anyone know whats wrong? Thanks. > > Perhaps you need a line between 6 & 7 with: > > ``` > assert !l.valid? > > ``` > > Otherwise the error object associated to the model will not have been > created. > > -Rob > > Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com) > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Hey, Thanks for the reply. The assert !l.valid? did not help. I still get the same error. When I run the command with the --trace command, I can see that rake fails right after the execute db:test:purge step. I have included the trace. \*\* Invoke test:units (first\_time) \*\* Invoke db:test:prepare (first\_time) \*\* Invoke db:abort\_if\_pending\_migrations (first\_time) \*\* Invoke environment (first\_time) \*\* Execute environment \*\* Execute db:abort\_if\_pending\_migrations \*\* Execute db:test:prepare \*\* Invoke db:test:load (first\_time) \*\* Invoke db:test:purge (first\_time) \*\* Invoke environment \*\* Execute db:test:purge rake aborted! You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! You might have expected an instance of ActiveRecord::Base. The error occurred while evaluating nil.[] /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-2.2.2/lib/tasks/databases.rake:341 /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:617:in `call' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:617:in `execute’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:612:in `each' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:612:in `execute’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:578:in `invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/monitor.rb:242:in `synchronize’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:571:in `invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:588:in `invoke\_prerequisites’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:585:in `each' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:585:in `invoke\_prerequisites’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:577:in `invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/monitor.rb:242:in `synchronize’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:571:in `invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:564:in `invoke’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-2.2.2/lib/tasks/databases.rake:372 /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:617:in `call' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:617:in `execute’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:612:in `each' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:612:in `execute’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:578:in `invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/monitor.rb:242:in `synchronize’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:571:in `invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:588:in `invoke\_prerequisites’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:585:in `each' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:585:in `invoke\_prerequisites’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:577:in `invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/monitor.rb:242:in `synchronize’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:571:in `invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:564:in `invoke’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:2019:in `invoke_task' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:1997:in `top\_level’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:1997:in `each' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:1997:in `top\_level’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:2036:in `standard_exception_handling' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:1991:in `top\_level’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:1970:in `run' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:2036:in `standard\_exception\_handling’ /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/lib/rake.rb:1967:in `run' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.3/bin/rake:31 /usr/bin/rake:19:in `load’ /usr/bin/rake:19 ---
**Author:** ![mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mpathare)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-units-failing/154577/4 "2008-12-02T01:26:12Z")
Hey Rob, That was a typo on my part. My code actually has l.errors.on(:name). Heres the pastebin link to the code [http://pastebin.com/m7cae6ae3](http://pastebin.com/m7cae6ae3) Rob B. wrote: > I think you mean to have: > > l.errors.on(:name) > Note: ‘errors’, not ‘error’ > > -Rob > > On Dec 1, 2008, at 7:05 PM, Maulin P. wrote: > > > > > The error occurred while evaluating nil.[] > > > > Otherwise the error object associated to the model will not have been > > > > same error. > > > > When I run the command with the --trace command, I can see that rake > > fails right after the execute db:test:purge step. I have included the > > trace. > > Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com) > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > +1 513-295-4739 > Skype: rob.biedenharn ---
**Author:** ![mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mpathare)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-units-failing/154577/5 "2008-12-02T01:20:44Z")
I think you mean to have: l.errors.on(:name) Note: ‘errors’, not ‘error’ -Rob On Dec 1, 2008, at 7:05 PM, Maulin P. wrote: > > > The error occurred while evaluating nil.[] > > > Otherwise the error object associated to the model will not have been > > > same error. > > When I run the command with the --trace command, I can see that rake > fails right after the execute db:test:purge step. I have included the > trace. Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid +1 513-295-4739 Skype: rob.biedenharn ---
**Author:** ![mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mpathare)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-units-failing/154577/6 "2008-12-02T01:52:08Z")
I figured it out, and it was dumb! I had commented out the test database settings from the database.yaml file. uncommenting them fixed the problem 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@mpathare](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mpathare)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-test-units-failing/154577/7 "2008-12-02T02:37:57Z")
On Dec 1, 2008, at 7:52 PM, Maulin P. wrote: > I figured it out, and it was dumb! > I had commented out the test database settings from the database.yaml > file. uncommenting them fixed the problem 🙂 the dumb ones hurt the most 😉 -Rob Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid