rspec users - Dec 2011 - recommendations for writing view index spec for a resource which behaves differently for different users

hi guys,

 In my index view specs for a given resource, I have successfully
written it for admin users.

For the given resource, when admin users are looking at the index
page, they should see
-a link to add a new resource object
-links to delete/edit/show for each resource object created

My index view specs does this perfectly and it reads:

------- file: begin -----------------------


192-168-1-4:categories anexiole$  cat index.html.erb_spec.rb
require ''spec_helper''

describe "categories/index.html.erb" do
  before(:each) do
	view.stub(:is_admin).and_return(true)

	assign( :categories, [
			FactoryGirl.create(:category_intakes),
			FactoryGirl.create(:category_audio),
		]
	)
  end

  it "renders a list of categories" do
    render
    assert_select ''tr>td'', :text => ''intakes
and filters''.to_s, :count
=> 1
    assert_select ''tr>td'', :text =>
''audio''.to_s, :count => 1
  end

	it ''renders an interface with the new link'' do
		render
		rendered.should contain (''New Category'')
	end

end

------- file: end    -----------------------


Now, I would then like to put more specs in the index view spec.

When a non-admin user (ie someone who has not logged in) looks at the
index page, the user
should NOT see
-a link to add a new resource object
-links to delete/edit/show for each resource object created

1) How can I best write this?
2) Would using ":let" before each different spec (admin and non-admin)
be a good way to do it?

thank you :)

On Dec 12, 2011, at 5:30 AM, Gordon wrote:
> hi guys,
> 
> In my index view specs for a given resource, I have successfully
> written it for admin users.
> 
> For the given resource, when admin users are looking at the index
> page, they should see
> -a link to add a new resource object
> -links to delete/edit/show for each resource object created
> 
> My index view specs does this perfectly and it reads:
> 
> ------- file: begin -----------------------
> 
> 
> 192-168-1-4:categories anexiole$  cat index.html.erb_spec.rb
> require ''spec_helper''
> 
> describe "categories/index.html.erb" do
>  before(:each) do
> 	view.stub(:is_admin).and_return(true)
^^ I''ve been in the habit of using view.stub(:is_admin => true).

Also, the Ruby idiom for questions like "is this being viewed by an
admin" is a Ruby predicate - a method name with a question mark at the end:

  view.stub(:admin? => true)

Names like is_admin are usually holdovers from Java :)
> 	assign( :categories, [
> 			FactoryGirl.create(:category_intakes),
> 			FactoryGirl.create(:category_audio),
> 		]
> 	)
>  end
> 
>  it "renders a list of categories" do
>    render
>    assert_select ''tr>td'', :text =>
''intakes and filters''.to_s, :count => 1
>    assert_select ''tr>td'', :text =>
''audio''.to_s, :count => 1
^^ ''intakes and filters'' and ''audio'' are
already strings, so you don''t need .to_s.
>  end
> 
> 	it ''renders an interface with the new link'' do
> 		render
> 		rendered.should contain (''New Category'')
> 	end
> 
> end
> 
> ------- file: end    -----------------------
> 
> Now, I would then like to put more specs in the index view spec.
> 
> When a non-admin user (ie someone who has not logged in) looks at the
> index page, the user
> should NOT see
> -a link to add a new resource object
> -links to delete/edit/show for each resource object created
> 
> 1) How can I best write this?
Best is subjective. One way you can write it is:

context "viewed by a non-admin" do
  before do
    view.stub(:admin? => false)
    # set up assigns
  end
  it "should not see xxx" do
    render
    assert_select selector, .. :count => 0
    # or, if you''re using Capybara
    rendered.should_not have_tag(selector)
  end
end
    
> 2) Would using ":let" before each different spec (admin and
non-admin)
> be a good way to do it?
let() is for creating objects, which is not what you''re doing here -
you''re simulating different logins. I''d stick with stubbing
:admin? in the before declaration.

Cheers,
David