rspec users - Oct 2008 - Test HTML output from Rails helper

Hi

I''m using RSpec in with Ruby on Rails. I''ve made a helper
module
method that generates some HTML and would like to create a rspec test  
to validate this HTML. I can of cause use regex to validate it as a  
string, but would much rather validate it by traversing the DOM and  
checking that the elements I expect is present. Any pointers?

/thomas

On Oct 18, 2008, at 4:40 AM, Thomas Watson Steen wrote:
> Hi
>
> I''m using RSpec in with Ruby on Rails. I''ve made a helper
module
> method that generates some HTML and would like to create a rspec  
> test to validate this HTML. I can of cause use regex to validate it  
> as a string, but would much rather validate it by traversing the DOM  
> and checking that the elements I expect is present. Any pointers?
No - that''s not really an option.  The rails stack has no idea about a
DOM.

One option, though, is to stub methods and use message expectations.   
For instance, if you had a helper like the following:

module MyHelper
   def my_method(a_name)
     link_to(a_name, {:controller => "foo", :action =>
"foo"})
   end
end

You''d be able to write a spec like the following:

it "should link with the correct name" do
   helper.should_receive(:link_to).with("foo", {:controller =>  
"foo", :action => "foo"})
   helper.my_method("foo")
end

Hope that helps,

Scott

On Oct 18, 2008, at 10:50 am, Scott Taylor wrote:
> No - that''s not really an option.  The rails stack has no idea
about
> a DOM.
>
> One option, though, is to stub methods and use message  
> expectations.  For instance, if you had a helper like the following:

Hi Scott

Another option would be Hpricot[1], which makes manipulating HTML  
easier than CSV data.

Ashley

[1] http://code.whytheluckystiff.net/hpricot/

-- 
http://www.patchspace.co.uk/
http://aviewfromafar.net/

Scott Taylor <mailing_lists at railsnewbie.com> writes:
> On Oct 18, 2008, at 4:40 AM, Thomas Watson Steen wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> I''m using RSpec in with Ruby on Rails. I''ve made a
helper module
>> method that generates some HTML and would like to create a rspec
>> test to validate this HTML. I can of cause use regex to validate it
>> as a string, but would much rather validate it by traversing the DOM
>> and checking that the elements I expect is present. Any pointers?
>
> No - that''s not really an option.  The rails stack has no idea
about a
> DOM.
Hrm...he''s just generating HTML, he should be able to use Hpricot.
Does have_tag work with plain strings, or only in examples where
there''s
a response body?  If it''s the latter, we should make it work with plain
strings as well.  But Hpricot would certainly be useful I would think.

> You''d be able to write a spec like the following:
>
> it "should link with the correct name" do
>   helper.should_receive(:link_to).with("foo", {:controller => 
"foo",
> :action => "foo"})
>   helper.my_method("foo")
> end
I don''t like this, I don''t think you''re testing
anything here.

Pat

On 2008-10-18, at 09:16, Pat Maddox wrote:
> Scott Taylor <mailing_lists at railsnewbie.com> writes:
>> You''d be able to write a spec like the following:
>>
>> it "should link with the correct name" do
>>  helper.should_receive(:link_to).with("foo", {:controller
=>  "foo",
>> :action => "foo"})
>>  helper.my_method("foo")
>> end
>
> I don''t like this, I don''t think you''re testing
anything here.
>
> Pat
Hi Pat. I''m interested to hear how you''d spec that helper
method,
because some of specs are similar to what Scott proposed, and I''m  
always looking to improve them.

Cheers,
Nick

On Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 6:16 AM, Pat Maddox <pergesu at gmail.com> wrote:

> Does have_tag work with plain strings
>
Yep, it does. That''s how I spec #to_amcharts. :)

///ark
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On Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 11:34 AM, Nick Hoffman <nick at deadorange.com>
wrote:
> On 2008-10-18, at 09:16, Pat Maddox wrote:
>>
>> Scott Taylor <mailing_lists at railsnewbie.com> writes:
>>>
>>> You''d be able to write a spec like the following:
>>>
>>> it "should link with the correct name" do
>>>  helper.should_receive(:link_to).with("foo", {:controller
=>  "foo",
>>> :action => "foo"})
>>>  helper.my_method("foo")
>>> end
>>
>> I don''t like this, I don''t think you''re
testing anything here.
>>
>> Pat
>
> Hi Pat. I''m interested to hear how you''d spec that helper
method, because
> some of specs are similar to what Scott proposed, and I''m always
looking to
> improve them.

I''m pretty sure Pat is simply suggesting:

  it "should link with the correct name" do
     helper.my_method("foo").should have_tag("a[href=?]",
the_path, "foo")
  end

If my_method returns a string then have_tag will work. If my_method
returns an object that responds to "body" then it will also work (this
is how response.should have_tag(''...'') works as well,

-- 
Zach Dennis
http://www.continuousthinking.com
http://www.mutuallyhuman.com

On Oct 18, 2008, at 9:16 AM, Pat Maddox wrote:
> Scott Taylor <mailing_lists at railsnewbie.com> writes:
>
>> On Oct 18, 2008, at 4:40 AM, Thomas Watson Steen wrote:
>>
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> I''m using RSpec in with Ruby on Rails. I''ve made
a helper module
>>> method that generates some HTML and would like to create a rspec
>>> test to validate this HTML. I can of cause use regex to validate it
>>> as a string, but would much rather validate it by traversing the
DOM
>>> and checking that the elements I expect is present. Any pointers?
>>
>> No - that''s not really an option.  The rails stack has no idea
>> about a
>> DOM.
>
> Hrm...he''s just generating HTML, he should be able to use Hpricot.
> Does have_tag work with plain strings, or only in examples where  
> there''s
> a response body?  If it''s the latter, we should make it work with
> plain
> strings as well.  But Hpricot would certainly be useful I would think.
>
Yeah.  +1.  Not sure why I didn''t think of that.

Scott

"Zach Dennis" <zach.dennis at gmail.com> writes:
> On Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 11:34 AM, Nick Hoffman <nick at
deadorange.com> wrote:
>> On 2008-10-18, at 09:16, Pat Maddox wrote:
>>>
>>> Scott Taylor <mailing_lists at railsnewbie.com> writes:
>>>>
>>>> You''d be able to write a spec like the following:
>>>>
>>>> it "should link with the correct name" do
>>>>  helper.should_receive(:link_to).with("foo",
{:controller =>  "foo",
>>>> :action => "foo"})
>>>>  helper.my_method("foo")
>>>> end
>>>
>>> I don''t like this, I don''t think you''re
testing anything here.
>>>
>>> Pat
>>
>> Hi Pat. I''m interested to hear how you''d spec that
helper method, because
>> some of specs are similar to what Scott proposed, and I''m
always looking to
>> improve them.
>
>
> I''m pretty sure Pat is simply suggesting:
>
>   it "should link with the correct name" do
>      helper.my_method("foo").should
have_tag("a[href=?]", the_path, "foo")
>   end
Yup

Pat