rspec users - Oct 2007 - Spec custom finders

I have some finders in my models where I write some of the sql myself. I
of course want to test these, but am not sure the best way. Should I just
let them roll through to the db, and verify they return the correct
objects based on the fixtures I load, or should I spec the actual query? I
know that DB access is sort of frowned upon, but is this a situation where
it is more or less acceptable? My spec looks something like this, but just
feels funny because I''m essentially rewriting the query.

describe User, ''when calling find_by_username'' do
  before(:each) do
    User.stub!(:find).and_return(nil)
  end

  it ''should convert the username to lowercase'' do
    uname = ''Joe''
    uname.should_receive(:downcase).and_return(''joe'')
    User.find_by_username(uname)
  end
  
  it ''should call find with custom options'' do
    User.should_receive(:find) do |a, b|
      a.should == :first
      b[:conditions][0].should == "lower(username) = :username"
      b[:conditions][1][:username].should == ''joe''
    end
    User.find_by_username(''Joe'')
  end  
end

On 10/26/07, Steve <vertebrate at gmail.com>
wrote:
> I have some finders in my models where I write some of the sql myself. I
> of course want to test these, but am not sure the best way. Should I just
> let them roll through to the db, and verify they return the correct
> objects based on the fixtures I load, or should I spec the actual query? I
> know that DB access is sort of frowned upon, but is this a situation where
> it is more or less acceptable? My spec looks something like this, but just
> feels funny because I''m essentially rewriting the query.
>
> describe User, ''when calling find_by_username'' do
>   before(:each) do
>     User.stub!(:find).and_return(nil)
>   end
>
>   it ''should convert the username to lowercase'' do
>     uname = ''Joe''
>     uname.should_receive(:downcase).and_return(''joe'')
>     User.find_by_username(uname)
>   end
>
>   it ''should call find with custom options'' do
>     User.should_receive(:find) do |a, b|
>       a.should == :first
>       b[:conditions][0].should == "lower(username) = :username"
>       b[:conditions][1][:username].should == ''joe''
>     end
>     User.find_by_username(''Joe'')
>   end
> end
>
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>
When I have custom queries I insert a couple records that should
match, and a couple that shouldn''t.  Run the query and make sure the
results only include the ones that should match.

Another way is to write a story that calls that finder somewhere.  I
haven''t found that to be particularly useful at this point, but I
think that''s the approach that David C prefers.

Pat