Rails - Jun 2006 - How can I set the session in a functional test?

Hey :)

I need to simulate a login in my functional test, otherwise I can''t GET
nor
POST to the action.

I need to set the session key "logged_in_user_id".

I tried this inside the setup() method:

session[''logged_in_user_id''] = 1

But that throws: TypeError: can''t convert String into Integer


Any ideas?



Thanks,
Rob
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On Tue, Jun 06, 2006 at 03:13:57AM +0200, Robert MannI
wrote:
> Hey :)
> 
> I need to simulate a login in my functional test, otherwise I
can''t GET nor
> POST to the action.
> 
> I need to set the session key "logged_in_user_id".
> 
> I tried this inside the setup() method:
> 
> session[''logged_in_user_id''] = 1
> 
> But that throws: TypeError: can''t convert String into Integer
> 
> Any ideas?
If you try "puts session.class" you''ll note that
it''s not a session object
until after you''ve run your session-manipulating request.  From memory,
if
you put "session = ActionController::TestSession.new" before you
fiddle with
the session, it''ll all work OK -- unless the first get/post you call in
your
test unconditionally resets the session, but I don''t *think* it does.

- Matt

-- 
How many Apple Newton users does it take to change a lightbulb?
Foux. There to eat lemons, axe gravy soup.
		-- Seen on the ''net

Cool, seems to work, thanks :))

On 6/6/06, Matthew Palmer <mpalmer@hezmatt.org>
wrote:
>
> On Tue, Jun 06, 2006 at 03:13:57AM +0200, Robert MannI wrote:
> > Hey :)
> >
> > I need to simulate a login in my functional test, otherwise I
can''t GET
> nor
> > POST to the action.
> >
> > I need to set the session key "logged_in_user_id".
> >
> > I tried this inside the setup() method:
> >
> > session[''logged_in_user_id''] = 1
> >
> > But that throws: TypeError: can''t convert String into Integer
> >
> > Any ideas?
>
> If you try "puts session.class" you''ll note that
it''s not a session object
> until after you''ve run your session-manipulating request.  From
memory, if
> you put "session = ActionController::TestSession.new" before you
fiddle
> with
> the session, it''ll all work OK -- unless the first get/post you
call in
> your
> test unconditionally resets the session, but I don''t *think* it
does.
>
> - Matt
>
> --
> How many Apple Newton users does it take to change a lightbulb?
> Foux. There to eat lemons, axe gravy soup.
>                 -- Seen on the ''net
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>
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On Jun 5, 2006, at 09:45 PM, Matthew Palmer wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 06, 2006 at 03:13:57AM +0200, Robert MannI wrote:
>> I need to simulate a login in my functional test, otherwise I  
>> can''t GET nor
>> POST to the action.
>>
>> I need to set the session key "logged_in_user_id".
>>
>> I tried this inside the setup() method:
>>
>> session[''logged_in_user_id''] = 1
>>
>> But that throws: TypeError: can''t convert String into Integer
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
> If you try "puts session.class" you''ll note that
it''s not a session
> object
> until after you''ve run your session-manipulating request.  From  
> memory, if
> you put "session = ActionController::TestSession.new" before you
> fiddle with
> the session, it''ll all work OK -- unless the first get/post you  
> call in your
> test unconditionally resets the session, but I don''t *think* it
does.
Hmm... I suppose that''s one way to go, but it''s definitely not
the
proscribed way of setting session object values when running  
Functional Tests. If you hop on over to the Rails api and do a little  
digging (or run a search on this list for the answer that I provided  
a couple of weeks ago ;) you''ll see that you can pass both session  
and params values into the controller action when you make the get or  
post calls.

The basic syntax looks like this:

   get/post/put/delete/head(action, parameters=nil, session=nil,  
flash=nil)

   Examples:
   get :index
   post :login, :user => {:name => "fred", :password =>
"abracadabra"}

So, for your logged_in_user_id you could use something as simple as:

   get :action, {}, {:logged_in_user_id => 1}

-Brian

On Mon, Jun 05, 2006 at 10:32:27PM -0400, Brian Hughes
wrote:
> Hmm... I suppose that''s one way to go, but it''s
definitely not the
> proscribed way of setting session object values when running  
> Functional Tests. If you hop on over to the Rails api and do a little  
> digging (or run a search on this list for the answer that I provided  
> a couple of weeks ago ;) you''ll see that you can pass both session
> and params values into the controller action when you make the get or  
> post calls.
> 
> The basic syntax looks like this:
> 
>   get/post/put/delete/head(action, parameters=nil, session=nil,  
> flash=nil)
You are completely correct, and that is a much better way to do it than my
bodgy hack.  I claim too much influence from other, less-capable, languages
and environments, which led me to try the hack rather than finding the
elegance.  <grin>

- Matt

Well, thanks for the help but, even though that new solution you proposed is
cleaner, I''d have to put in the session hash into every single get()
and
post() method of my functional tests.

Not very DRY, so I was wondering, how do the other people out there do it?



Rob

On 6/6/06, Matt Palmer <mpalmer@hezmatt.org>
wrote:
>
> On Mon, Jun 05, 2006 at 10:32:27PM -0400, Brian Hughes wrote:
> > Hmm... I suppose that''s one way to go, but it''s
definitely not the
> > proscribed way of setting session object values when running
> > Functional Tests. If you hop on over to the Rails api and do a little
> > digging (or run a search on this list for the answer that I provided
> > a couple of weeks ago ;) you''ll see that you can pass both
session
> > and params values into the controller action when you make the get or
> > post calls.
> >
> > The basic syntax looks like this:
> >
> >   get/post/put/delete/head(action, parameters=nil, session=nil,
> > flash=nil)
>
> You are completely correct, and that is a much better way to do it than my
> bodgy hack.  I claim too much influence from other, less-capable,
> languages
> and environments, which led me to try the hack rather than finding the
> elegance.  <grin>
>
> - Matt
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>
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On Jun 5, 2006, at 11:31 PM, Robert MannI wrote:
> Well, thanks for the help but, even though that new solution you  
> proposed is cleaner, I''d have to put in the session hash into
every
> single get() and post() method of my functional tests.
>
> Not very DRY, so I was wondering, how do the other people out there  
> do it?
If it doesn''t change, define it once and pass it repeatedly.

If it does change, then there''s no way to dry it out anyway.

-- 
-- Tom Mornini

So the solution proposed above is not a hack after all?

"Hmm... I suppose that''s one way to go, but it''s
definitely not the
proscribed way of setting session object values when running
Functional Tests."


Thanks,
Rob

On 6/6/06, Tom Mornini <tmornini@infomania.com>
wrote:
>
> On Jun 5, 2006, at 11:31 PM, Robert MannI wrote:
>
> > Well, thanks for the help but, even though that new solution you
> > proposed is cleaner, I''d have to put in the session hash into
every
> > single get() and post() method of my functional tests.
> >
> > Not very DRY, so I was wondering, how do the other people out there
> > do it?
>
> If it doesn''t change, define it once and pass it repeatedly.
>
> If it does change, then there''s no way to dry it out anyway.
>
> --
> -- Tom Mornini
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>
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Just do:

my_session = {:foo => "bar"}
get :my_action, {}, my_session
get :my_other_action, {}, my_session

hth,
phil

--- Robert MannI <robmnl@gmail.com> wrote:
> So the solution proposed above is not a hack after
> all?
> 
> "Hmm... I suppose that''s one way to go, but it''s
> definitely not the
> proscribed way of setting session object values when
> running
> Functional Tests."
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Rob
> 
> On 6/6/06, Tom Mornini <tmornini@infomania.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > On Jun 5, 2006, at 11:31 PM, Robert MannI wrote:
> >
> > > Well, thanks for the help but, even though that
> new solution you
> > > proposed is cleaner, I''d have to put in the
> session hash into every
> > > single get() and post() method of my functional
> tests.
> > >
> > > Not very DRY, so I was wondering, how do the
> other people out there
> > > do it?
> >
> > If it doesn''t change, define it once and pass it
> repeatedly.
> >
> > If it does change, then there''s no way to dry it
> out anyway.
> >
> > --
> > -- Tom Mornini
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Rails mailing list
> > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> >
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>

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On Jun 5, 2006, at 11:51 PM, Robert MannI wrote:
> So the solution proposed above is not a hack after all?
>
> "Hmm... I suppose that''s one way to go, but it''s
definitely not the
> proscribed way of setting session object values when running
> Functional Tests."
No, I meant like this:

   def test_logout
     sess_vals = { :user_id => 1 }
     get :logout1, {  }, sess_vals
     get :logout2, {  }, sess_vals
   end

If the session doesn''t even change between tests, then you can
set it in the setup method.

- --
- -- Tom Mornini

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On Tue, 6 Jun 2006 08:31:57 +0200, Robert MannI wrote:
> Not very DRY, so I was wondering, how do the other people out there do it?
I have a login method in the helpers that puts a proper key-value in 
the @request.session hash before calling the "admin-only" pages with 
get or posts.
I''m using user_engine + login_engine for the authentication .

this is what I generally use...

class MyTest < Test::Unit::TestCase

  attr_reader :session

  def setup
    @session = ActionController::TestSession.new
  end
 
  def test_it

    get :index
    # ...

  end
end

Enrico Franchi schrieb:
> On Tue, 6 Jun 2006 08:31:57 +0200, Robert MannI wrote:
>
>   
>> Not very DRY, so I was wondering, how do the other people out there do
it?
>>     
>
> I have a login method in the helpers that puts a proper key-value in 
> the @request.session hash before calling the "admin-only" pages
with
> get or posts.
> I''m using user_engine + login_engine for the authentication .
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>

On Jun 6, 2006, at 03:32 PM, Pete wrote:
> this is what I generally use...
>
> class MyTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
>
>  attr_reader :session
>
>  def setup
>    @session = ActionController::TestSession.new
>  end
>  def test_it
>
>    get :index
>    # ...
>
>  end
> end
While I realize this works, this is completely the wrong way to set a  
session value for a functional test request. Please read my posts on  
this, so you can see the proper way to set not only session values,  
but parameters and flash values as well. It''s built-in to the get,  
post, delete, put and head methods...

-Brian

I still don''t get this.

Why are the default functional tests so loosely ugly? The setup() method by
default does this:

@controller = MyController.new
@request    = ActionController::TestRequest.new
@response   = ActionController::TestResponse.new

When I put a breakpoint in there, I can access three (3!!) session
accessors:

@controller.session # returns nil
@request.session # returns #<ActionController::TestSession:...>
@response.session # returns []

What is happening here? This is smelly, maybe I don''t get it.


And I know get/post/head etc have a session parameter in their argument
list, but I don''t see why I should do:

    sess_vals = { :logged_in_user_id => 1 }
    get :do_something, {  }, sess_vals
    get :do_something_else, {  }, sess_vals

for each of my actions. I just want to set the logged in user *once*, and
then go on with my life. Is there any **correct/clean** way to do this?
Everyone seems to be using something else.



Thanks alot for the help,
Rob


On 6/7/06, Brian Hughes <brianvh@alum.dartmouth.org>
wrote:
>
> On Jun 6, 2006, at 03:32 PM, Pete wrote:
> > this is what I generally use...
> >
> > class MyTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
> >
> >  attr_reader :session
> >
> >  def setup
> >    @session = ActionController::TestSession.new
> >  end
> >  def test_it
> >
> >    get :index
> >    # ...
> >
> >  end
> > end
>
> While I realize this works, this is completely the wrong way to set a
> session value for a functional test request. Please read my posts on
> this, so you can see the proper way to set not only session values,
> but parameters and flash values as well. It''s built-in to the get,
> post, delete, put and head methods...
>
> -Brian
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>
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What I''ve been doing is adding this to test_helper.rb:

  # Get a login so methods protected by authentication can be tested
  def get_logged_in
    @request.session[:user] = User.find_first
    assert_not_nil @request.session[:user]
    @request.session[:user].logged_in_at = Time.now
    @request.session[:user].save
  end

Then my test methods can go like:

def test_foo
  get :bar
  assert_redirect <wherever your login goes>
  get_logged_in
  get :bar
  assert :success
end

My get_logged_in method assumes a test database with a user in it. You could
just as easily create a fixture and load from there.

I read the post about this not being the way to set a session. I understand
that the session hash is passed to the get and post methods, but I''ve
found
this workaround reliable thus far. Of course I''m all ears if what
I''m doing
is brittle and will come back to bite me later.

HTH
--
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