rspec users - Sep 2008 - Setting instance variables for controllers

Hi everyone,

I have been trying to find an answer to this question and have not been able
to. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I am using Rails 2.1.0 and Rspec 1.1.4.

How can I set an instance variable in my Rspec test that is then available
to my controller while the test is running? For example:

(I tried to keep this as simple as possible while illustrating what I mean)


---application_controller.rb---

ApplicationController

  before_filter :set_user

  def set_user
    @user = User.find( 5 )
  end

end


---cart_controller.rb---

CartController

  def index
    if @user
      render :action => ''cart_full''
    else
      render :action => ''cart_empty''
    end
  end

end


---Rspec---

describe CartController do

  describe "index" do
    
    it "should render ''cart_full'' if @user is set"
do
      # This is where I need to set @user
      response.should render_template( : cart_full )
    end

    it "should render ''cart_empty'' if @user is not
set" do
      response.should render_template( : cart_empty )
    end

  end

end



Is this even possible to do?

I thought that controller.set_instance_variable( :@user, ... ) would do the
trick but it does not seem to work.

Thank you!
-- 
View this message in context:
http://www.nabble.com/Setting-instance-variables-for-controllers-tp19283500p19283500.html
Sent from the rspec-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

You don''t need to set the instance variable, you can stub the find
call:

describe CartController do

 describe "index" do

  before do
    @user = mock_model( User )
  end

   it "should render ''cart_full'' if @user is set" do
     # This is where I need to set @user
     User.stub!( :find
).with(''your-id-param-here'').and_return( @user )
     response.should render_template( : cart_full )
   end

   it "should render ''cart_empty'' if @user is not
set" do
     response.should render_template( : cart_empty )
   end

 end

end


On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 11:22 AM, patrick_r <patrickdavidreiner at
gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I have been trying to find an answer to this question and have not been
able
> to. Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> I am using Rails 2.1.0 and Rspec 1.1.4.
>
> How can I set an instance variable in my Rspec test that is then available
> to my controller while the test is running? For example:
>
> (I tried to keep this as simple as possible while illustrating what I mean)
>
>
> ---application_controller.rb---
>
> ApplicationController
>
>  before_filter :set_user
>
>  def set_user
>    @user = User.find( 5 )
>  end
>
> end
>
>
> ---cart_controller.rb---
>
> CartController
>
>  def index
>    if @user
>      render :action => ''cart_full''
>    else
>      render :action => ''cart_empty''
>    end
>  end
>
> end
>
>
> ---Rspec---
>
> describe CartController do
>
>  describe "index" do
>
>    it "should render ''cart_full'' if @user is
set" do
>      # This is where I need to set @user
>      response.should render_template( : cart_full )
>    end
>
>    it "should render ''cart_empty'' if @user is not
set" do
>      response.should render_template( : cart_empty )
>    end
>
>  end
>
> end
>
>
>
> Is this even possible to do?
>
> I thought that controller.set_instance_variable( :@user, ... ) would do the
> trick but it does not seem to work.
>
> Thank you!
> --
> View this message in context:
http://www.nabble.com/Setting-instance-variables-for-controllers-tp19283500p19283500.html
> Sent from the rspec-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
>


-- 
Maur?cio Linhares
http://alinhavado.wordpress.com/ (pt-br) | http://blog.codevader.com/ (en)
Jo?o Pessoa, PB, +55 83 8867-7208

On Sep 3, 2008, at 10:40 AM, Maur?cio Linhares wrote:
> You don''t need to set the instance variable, you can stub the find
> call:

Or you could also stub the call to User::find.

Also - you don''t *WANT* to set the instance variable - it''s an
encapsulation violation - there is nothing in the public interface  
about it.  Remember, these are not only specs, but *examples*.  Would  
you want someone writing production code modeled off of that spec?

Scott

On Sep 3, 2008, at 10:53 AM, Scott Taylor wrote:
>
> On Sep 3, 2008, at 10:40 AM, Maur?cio Linhares wrote:
>
>> You don''t need to set the instance variable, you can stub the
find
>> call:
>
>
> Or you could also stub the call to User::find.
>
> Also - you don''t *WANT* to set the instance variable -
it''s an
> encapsulation violation - there is nothing in the public interface  
> about it.  Remember, these are not only specs, but *examples*.   
> Would you want someone writing production code modeled off of that  
> spec?
>
> Scott
Often I''ll encapsulate important instance variables (especially ones  
assigned in before_filters) in a method, like current_user,  
current_project, etc.

     def current_project
         @project
     end

Then these are easily stubbed in specs.

	controller.stub!(:current_project).and_return(project)

Further, I usually mock the entire before_filter methods

	before_filter :find_project

with a shared method like

def mock_find_project
   project = @project || mock_project
   controller.stub!(:find_project).and_return(project)
   controller.stub!(:current_project).and_return(project)
   project
end

Lastly, I maintain the find_project method in application.rb so it  
can be shared among controllers, and tested separately. (either with  
shared behaviors, or in my case i''ve rigged up an  
application_controller_spec that lets me test methods in  
application.rb independent of a specific controller).

--linoj
	
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users

Thank you very much for all your help, this made everything crystal clear!

-- 
View this message in context:
http://www.nabble.com/Setting-instance-variables-for-controllers-tp19283500p19295990.html
Sent from the rspec-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com.