rspec users - Nov 2007 - testing scripts

So in the past I''ve written a script that query''s a remote DB,
takes
the data, validates it, then does some processing, producing a new file 
with the data in a completely different format.

Since this is a script with it''s own set of methods, etc, how do I go 
about testing the pieces parts?

It seems like it should be no different than doing the rails testing I 
have been doing, but I think I''m missing something fundamental about 
ruby.

What I''m doing now is wrapping the methods in a module, then including 
the module at the top of the script.

I''m thinking this will allow me test those methods independently of the
script itself.

There still the problem of testing the logic of the script, but I''ll 
keep banging away, and report back.

Are there other ways one might do testing against a script like this?

Mike B.

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On Nov 13, 2007, at 7:45 pm, barsalou wrote:
> What I''m doing now is wrapping the methods in a module, then
including
> the module at the top of the script.
Can you post some examples of the modules, classes and methods you have?

Every script I''ve written is basically just a little object-oriented  
app that''s got a bit at the end to fire off some "main" class
with the
command line args.  Testing one is no different than testing, say, lib  
code in Rails.  Ideally you want each bit of functionality in a class  
(and therefore file) of its own, so it can be tested in isolation.   
But without seeing what you''ve got, it''s hard to guess where
the
problem lies.

Ashley


-- 
blog @ http://aviewfromafar.net/
linked-in @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymoran
currently @ home

Ashley said:


Message: 7
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:43:53 +0000
From: Ashley Moran <work at ashleymoran.me.uk>
Subject: Re: [rspec-users] testing scripts
To: rspec-users <rspec-users at rubyforge.org>
Message-ID: <84ECF846-4D27-428D-BCEA-785E60E02AA7 at ashleymoran.me.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes


On Nov 13, 2007, at 7:45 pm, barsalou wrote:
> What I''m doing now is wrapping the methods in a module, then
including
> the module at the top of the script.
Can you post some examples of the modules, classes and methods you have?

Every script I''ve written is basically just a little object-oriented 
app that''s got a bit at the end to fire off some "main" class
with the
command line args.  Testing one is no different than testing, say, lib 
code in Rails.  Ideally you want each bit of functionality in a class 
(and therefore file) of its own, so it can be tested in isolation.   
But without seeing what you''ve got, it''s hard to guess where
the
problem lies.

Ashley


------

Ashley,

I think what I''ve come to realize is that I need to refactor what
I''ve
done.  A quick example would be:

def exists?(device)
  # do device validation
end

device = Device.find(1)
if exists?(device) then  # do my thing
end


I realize that exists? should really be part of Device and doing 
testing on this script is helping me look at the objects differently 
and I''m starting to refactor.

So I think my initial problem with testing my script is that it''s not 
really OO in the first place.

You''ve confirmed for me what I had been thinking and I''ll work
to that end.

Thanks for the feedback.

Mike B.

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