Rails - Jan 2010 - Best practice: individual or combined tests?

Hi folks,

I''m pretty new to TDD.  Is there a standard approach on this: Is it
better to write individual tests, or combine them?  A specific example
- if a model Foo validates the presence of both bar and baz, is it
better to have a test each for bar and for baz, or to combine the
validations into a combined bar/baz test?

Thanks!

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acreadinglist wrote:
> Hi folks,
> 
> I''m pretty new to TDD.  Is there a standard approach on this: Is
it
> better to write individual tests, or combine them?  A specific example
> - if a model Foo validates the presence of both bar and baz, is it
> better to have a test each for bar and for baz, or to combine the
> validations into a combined bar/baz test?
I''d test them individually.  In general, you want each test pretty 
atomic.

So for example, take a look at 
http://github.com/marnen/quorum2/blob/master/spec/models/event_spec.rb 
(the validation specs start at line 217).  I''ve got separate specs for 
each validation.

That code could use some DRYing up, though, and I do sometimes do things 
like

    [''one'', ''two'',
''three''].each do |field|
      it "should require #{field}" do
        @model.send "#{field}=", nil
        @model.should_not be_valid
      end
    end

but note that this still produces three separate specs.  I''d feel wrong
if it didn''t.
> 
> Thanks!
Best,
--
Marnen Laibow-Koser
http://www.marnen.org
marnen-sbuyVjPbboAdnm+yROfE0A@public.gmane.org
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Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

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Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:
> acreadinglist wrote:
>> Hi folks,
>> 
>> I''m pretty new to TDD.  Is there a standard approach on this:
Is it
>> better to write individual tests, or combine them?  A specific example
>> - if a model Foo validates the presence of both bar and baz, is it
>> better to have a test each for bar and for baz, or to combine the
>> validations into a combined bar/baz test?
> 
> I''d test them individually.  In general, you want each test pretty
> atomic.
> 
> So for example, take a look at 
> http://github.com/marnen/quorum2/blob/master/spec/models/event_spec.rb 
> (the validation specs start at line 217).  
Trust Github to be smart about this!  The direct URL for that line (!) 
is 
http://github.com/marnen/quorum2/blob/master/spec/models/event_spec.rb#L217 
.

Best,
--
Marnen Laibow-Koser
http://www.marnen.org
marnen-sbuyVjPbboAdnm+yROfE0A@public.gmane.org
-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

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