rspec users - Aug 2010 - New bie question: Why use assert_equal when there are comparison operators in Rspec?

hi guys,
  I''m reading up on Rspec, Mocha and some related material to put BDD
in my new rails app.

 I have also checked out Ryan Bates'' railscasts on rspec
(that''s how I
got to know about Mocha).

Reading up on the Rspec''s main site, the main example in
http://rspec.rubyforge.org/rspec/1.3.0/ does not show any use of
assert_equals. Rather it just uses the  "==" comparison operators.
 Here''s an extract:

============ Extract begin ==========================
    it "reduces its balance by the transfer amount" do
      source = Account.new(50, :USD)
      target = stub(''target account'')
      source.transfer(5, :USD).to(target)
      source.balance.should == Money.new(45, :USD) <----- here
    end
  end
end
============ Extract end    ==========================

Newbie question (don''t shoot me cause I tried reading up and
can''t
find out why): Why do folks still use assert_equal if the comparison
operators (apart from that there''s a Test::Unit::Assertions module
(http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/test/unit/rdoc/classes/Test/Unit/
Assertions.html) written for it)?

On Aug 06, 2010, at 3:52 am, ct9a wrote:
> Reading up on the Rspec''s main site, the main example in
> http://rspec.rubyforge.org/rspec/1.3.0/ does not show any use of
> assert_equals. Rather it just uses the  "==" comparison
operators.
> Here''s an extract:
assert_equals is part of Test::Unit, not RSpec.  You can''t use
assert_equals in RSpec unless you also have Test::Unit loaded.  The default
Rails test suite setup is based on Test::Unit, so you have access to both. 
(RSpec it designed to integrate with it.)  There''s no reason to use
assert_equals unless you want to, and personally I''d avoid miking the
two styles.

HTH

Ash

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