rspec users - Aug 2007 - To mock or not mock base classes

Just a general opinion question on idioms/common usage.  Is it better  
to mock Ruby''s base classes, or to use real instances of those base  
classes?

@string = mock String
@string.stub!(:to_s).and_return "hello"

# or:

@string = "hello"

I was wondering which is generally favored, and if so, for what  
reasons?  Or is it highly dependent on the type of spec which is  
being written?

Regards,

Scott

On 8/14/07, Scott Taylor <mailing_lists at railsnewbie.com>
wrote:
>
> Just a general opinion question on idioms/common usage.  Is it better
> to mock Ruby''s base classes, or to use real instances of those
base
> classes?
>
> @string = mock String
> @string.stub!(:to_s).and_return "hello"
>
> # or:
>
> @string = "hello"
>
> I was wondering which is generally favored, and if so, for what
> reasons?  Or is it highly dependent on the type of spec which is
> being written?
>
> Regards,
>
> Scott
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
>
I would say the second way is pretty clearly the favorite :)

However there might be usages where the first way could be
appropriate, but it''s surely not that example.  Perhaps you could show
the actual spec you''re trying to write?

Pat