Backgroundrb devel - Jul 2006 - Testing worker classes

Hi,

Does it make sense to test a worker class by calling
Middleman.new_worker? Or should I just be testing the functionality in
the do_work method, with, say, a mock object. This seems like a really
ugly DRY violation: you''d need to keep the code in the mock and the
real worker in sync.

That''s the philosophical half of my question. In fact, until someone
tells me why I shouldn''t, I am trying to call new_worker from a test
method in the test class generated by the worker generator. I''m
getting

NoMethodError: undefined method `[]'' for
#<DRb::DRbUnknown:0xb72c7128>

I note in another thread that this  is due to DRbundumped not being
included in the class that is causing the error. I took this to mean
that I need "include DRbundumped" in my test class, but that
didn''t
work. I''m not sure where else I should include it. I know that
eventually I''ll need to put it in the non-test class that calls
new_worker, but I''m not there yet. Is testing workers just a
non-starter?

Here''s the test method:

  def test_task_is_triggered
    job_key = MiddleMan.new_worker :class => :task_checker_worker,
       :args =>  tasks(:should_be_triggered)
    @job_keys << job_key
   #     ...assertions go here...
  end


thanks,
jh

-- 
James Hughes
Web application developer
Vancouver, BC

"Developing a coherent political analysis is in many respects
contingent upon an ability to connect one context to another, a
process not dissimilar to playing the kid''s game of dot-to-dot."
 - Ward Churchill, from ''"A Government of Laws"?''

On Jul 19, 2006, at 3:24 PM, James Hughes wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Does it make sense to test a worker class by calling
> Middleman.new_worker? Or should I just be testing the functionality in
> the do_work method, with, say, a mock object. This seems like a really
> ugly DRY violation: you''d need to keep the code in the mock and
the
> real worker in sync.
>
> That''s the philosophical half of my question. In fact, until
someone
> tells me why I shouldn''t, I am trying to call new_worker from a
test
> method in the test class generated by the worker generator. I''m
> getting
>
> NoMethodError: undefined method `[]'' for
#<DRb::DRbUnknown:0xb72c7128>
>
> I note in another thread that this  is due to DRbundumped not being
> included in the class that is causing the error. I took this to mean
> that I need "include DRbundumped" in my test class, but that
didn''t
> work. I''m not sure where else I should include it. I know that
> eventually I''ll need to put it in the non-test class that calls
> new_worker, but I''m not there yet. Is testing workers just a
> non-starter?
>
> Here''s the test method:
>
>   def test_task_is_triggered
>     job_key = MiddleMan.new_worker :class => :task_checker_worker,
>        :args =>  tasks(:should_be_triggered)
>     @job_keys << job_key
>    #     ...assertions go here...
>   end
>
>
> thanks,
> jh
>
> --  
> James Hughes

Hey James-

	Yeah I have some code for a better test harness that I need to get  
working correctly and release. The best way I have come up with is to  
create an additional config file for test mode that connects to the  
test db. Then you have a rake wrapper for your tests that starts the  
drb server in test mode when your tests fire up. Because there needs  
to be a good way to test things from end to end through the  
MiddleMan. I am open for suggestions on a better test harness. I am  
just very busy this week so I won''t have time until at least the  
weekend to get something new released.

Thanks-
-Ezra


P.S. I would love a patch for a better test harness if any one comes  
up with one ;)