rspec users - Dec 2011 - First Model Macro

Hello all,

I trust you are having a good one.

I''m just trying out macros and my first one is taken from the RSpec
book
which replaces .....

@obj.should_not be_valid
@obj.should have(1).error_on(:attr)

with the macro....

should_require_attribute Model, :attribute

My first attempt is basic but already I have problems.

The following is called as

it_should_require_attribute Model, :attribute

but I would rather call if as

it_should_require_attribute @model, :attribute.

I prefer this call as I want to use what has been setup in my before(:each)
block -- setting @model and all other housekeeping stuff required for the
tests -- and I can then remove dut_instance = dut.new from the macro.

Alas, my before(:each) block is not being called!! I thought it would be
called when the it in the macro is met.

module ModelMacros
  ## dut - Domain Under Test
  ## aut - Attribute Under Test

  def it_should_require_attribute(dut, aut)
    it "is not valid with missing #{aut}" do
      dut_instance = dut.new
      dut_instance.send("#{aut}=", nil)
      dut_instance.should_not be_valid
      dut_instance.should have(1).error_on(aut.to_sym)
    end
  end
end

Could anyone give me some tips on how to approach macros better for
seamless integration into my tests.

Thank you

-ants
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On Dec 26, 2011, at 10:06 AM, Ants Pants wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I trust you are having a good one.
> 
> I''m just trying out macros and my first one is taken from the
RSpec book which replaces .....
> 
> @obj.should_not be_valid
> @obj.should have(1).error_on(:attr)
> 
> with the macro....
> 
> should_require_attribute Model, :attribute
> 
> My first attempt is basic but already I have problems.
> 
> The following is called as 
> 
> it_should_require_attribute Model, :attribute 
> 
> but I would rather call if as 
> 
> it_should_require_attribute @model, :attribute. 
> 
> I prefer this call as I want to use what has been setup in my before(:each)
block -- setting @model and all other housekeeping stuff required for the tests
-- and I can then remove dut_instance = dut.new from the macro.
> 
> Alas, my before(:each) block is not being called!! I thought it would be
called when the it in the macro is met.
> 
> module ModelMacros
>   ## dut - Domain Under Test
>   ## aut - Attribute Under Test
> 
>   def it_should_require_attribute(dut, aut)
>     it "is not valid with missing #{aut}" do
>       dut_instance = dut.new
>       dut_instance.send("#{aut}=", nil)
>       dut_instance.should_not be_valid
>       dut_instance.should have(1).error_on(aut.to_sym)
>     end
>   end
> end
> 
> Could anyone give me some tips on how to approach macros better for
seamless integration into my tests.
> 
I like to use self.described_class instead of passing classes or instances in.
Here is an example:

def it_should_require_attribute(attribute)
  klass = self.described_class
  instance = klass.new
  instance.send("#{attribute}=", nil)  
  instance.should_not be_valid
  instance.should have(1).error_on(attribute.to_sym)
end

describe MyModel do
  it_should_require_attribute :some_attribute
end

I''m still using RSpec 1.x on Rails 2.3.x projects and have no idea if
this is supported in RSpec 2.x.

Peace.

On 26 December 2011 18:01, Phillip Koebbe <phillip.koebbe at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
> On Dec 26, 2011, at 10:06 AM, Ants Pants wrote:
>
> > Hello all,
> >
> > I trust you are having a good one.
> >
> > I''m just trying out macros and my first one is taken from the
RSpec book
> which replaces .....
> >
> > @obj.should_not be_valid
> > @obj.should have(1).error_on(:attr)
> >
> > with the macro....
> >
> > should_require_attribute Model, :attribute
> >
> > My first attempt is basic but already I have problems.
> >
> > The following is called as
> >
> > it_should_require_attribute Model, :attribute
> >
> > but I would rather call if as
> >
> > it_should_require_attribute @model, :attribute.
> >
> > I prefer this call as I want to use what has been setup in my
> before(:each) block -- setting @model and all other housekeeping stuff
> required for the tests -- and I can then remove dut_instance = dut.new from
> the macro.
> >
> > Alas, my before(:each) block is not being called!! I thought it would
be
> called when the it in the macro is met.
> >
> > module ModelMacros
> >   ## dut - Domain Under Test
> >   ## aut - Attribute Under Test
> >
> >   def it_should_require_attribute(dut, aut)
> >     it "is not valid with missing #{aut}" do
> >       dut_instance = dut.new
> >       dut_instance.send("#{aut}=", nil)
> >       dut_instance.should_not be_valid
> >       dut_instance.should have(1).error_on(aut.to_sym)
> >     end
> >   end
> > end
> >
> > Could anyone give me some tips on how to approach macros better for
> seamless integration into my tests.
> >
>
> I like to use self.described_class instead of passing classes or instances
> in. Here is an example:
>
> def it_should_require_attribute(attribute)
>  klass = self.described_class
>  instance = klass.new
>  instance.send("#{attribute}=", nil)
>  instance.should_not be_valid
>  instance.should have(1).error_on(attribute.to_sym)
> end
>
> describe MyModel do
>  it_should_require_attribute :some_attribute
> end
>
> I''m still using RSpec 1.x on Rails 2.3.x projects and have no idea
if this
> is supported in RSpec 2.x.
>
> Peace.
>
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
>
Thanks for your reply.

Firstly, I was mistaken, my before block is being called when the it block
is met in my macro.

I''m using rspec-rails 1.3.4 and Rails 2.3.11

Your code doesn''t really help, though. It''s just another way
of addressing
what I''m already doing. As I now know my before block is begin called
and I
have access to an instance variable, I tried a generic name @dut (Domain
Under Test) and that works. But, I have now lost a meaningful instance
variable name for non macro tests. Maybe I could just #dup them.

Is there a better way? I reckon there is and will find it while playing.

-ants
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On Dec 26, 2011, at 12:09 PM, Ants Pants wrote:
> 
> 
> On 26 December 2011 18:01, Phillip Koebbe <phillip.koebbe at
gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> On Dec 26, 2011, at 10:06 AM, Ants Pants wrote:
> 
> > Hello all,
> >
> > I trust you are having a good one.
> >
> > I''m just trying out macros and my first one is taken from the
RSpec book which replaces .....
> >
> > @obj.should_not be_valid
> > @obj.should have(1).error_on(:attr)
> >
> > with the macro....
> >
> > should_require_attribute Model, :attribute
> >
> > My first attempt is basic but already I have problems.
> >
> > The following is called as
> >
> > it_should_require_attribute Model, :attribute
> >
> > but I would rather call if as
> >
> > it_should_require_attribute @model, :attribute.
> >
> > I prefer this call as I want to use what has been setup in my
before(:each) block -- setting @model and all other housekeeping stuff required
for the tests -- and I can then remove dut_instance = dut.new from the macro.
> >
> > Alas, my before(:each) block is not being called!! I thought it would
be called when the it in the macro is met.
> >
> > module ModelMacros
> >   ## dut - Domain Under Test
> >   ## aut - Attribute Under Test
> >
> >   def it_should_require_attribute(dut, aut)
> >     it "is not valid with missing #{aut}" do
> >       dut_instance = dut.new
> >       dut_instance.send("#{aut}=", nil)
> >       dut_instance.should_not be_valid
> >       dut_instance.should have(1).error_on(aut.to_sym)
> >     end
> >   end
> > end
> >
> > Could anyone give me some tips on how to approach macros better for
seamless integration into my tests.
> >
> 
> I like to use self.described_class instead of passing classes or instances
in. Here is an example:
> 
> def it_should_require_attribute(attribute)
>  klass = self.described_class
>  instance = klass.new
>  instance.send("#{attribute}=", nil)
>  instance.should_not be_valid
>  instance.should have(1).error_on(attribute.to_sym)
> end
> 
> describe MyModel do
>  it_should_require_attribute :some_attribute
> end
> 
> I''m still using RSpec 1.x on Rails 2.3.x projects and have no idea
if this is supported in RSpec 2.x.
> 
> Peace.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
> 
> Thanks for your reply.
> 
> Firstly, I was mistaken, my before block is being called when the it block
is met in my macro.
> 
> I''m using rspec-rails 1.3.4 and Rails 2.3.11
> 
> Your code doesn''t really help, though. It''s just another
way of addressing what I''m already doing. As I now know my before block
is begin called and I have access to an instance variable, I tried a generic
name @dut (Domain Under Test) and that works. But, I have now lost a meaningful
instance variable name for non macro tests. Maybe I could just #dup them.
> 
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I wasn''t addressing the issue
you were having with the before block. I was addressing this:
> Could anyone give me some tips on how to approach macros better for
seamless integration into my tests.
Which I understood to mean that if anyone had any ideas about how to make the
tests simpler/dryer/etc, you''d be happy to hear them. Sorry if I
misunderstood and you didn''t find it useful.

Peace.

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On 26 December 2011 22:09, Phillip Koebbe <phillip.koebbe at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
> On Dec 26, 2011, at 12:09 PM, Ants Pants wrote:
>
>
>
> On 26 December 2011 18:01, Phillip Koebbe <phillip.koebbe at
gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>> On Dec 26, 2011, at 10:06 AM, Ants Pants wrote:
>>
>> > Hello all,
>> >
>> > I trust you are having a good one.
>> >
>> > I''m just trying out macros and my first one is taken from
the RSpec
>> book which replaces .....
>> >
>> > @obj.should_not be_valid
>> > @obj.should have(1).error_on(:attr)
>> >
>> > with the macro....
>> >
>> > should_require_attribute Model, :attribute
>> >
>> > My first attempt is basic but already I have problems.
>> >
>> > The following is called as
>> >
>> > it_should_require_attribute Model, :attribute
>> >
>> > but I would rather call if as
>> >
>> > it_should_require_attribute @model, :attribute.
>> >
>> > I prefer this call as I want to use what has been setup in my
>> before(:each) block -- setting @model and all other housekeeping stuff
>> required for the tests -- and I can then remove dut_instance = dut.new
from
>> the macro.
>> >
>> > Alas, my before(:each) block is not being called!! I thought it
would
>> be called when the it in the macro is met.
>> >
>> > module ModelMacros
>> >   ## dut - Domain Under Test
>> >   ## aut - Attribute Under Test
>> >
>> >   def it_should_require_attribute(dut, aut)
>> >     it "is not valid with missing #{aut}" do
>> >       dut_instance = dut.new
>> >       dut_instance.send("#{aut}=", nil)
>> >       dut_instance.should_not be_valid
>> >       dut_instance.should have(1).error_on(aut.to_sym)
>> >     end
>> >   end
>> > end
>> >
>> > Could anyone give me some tips on how to approach macros better
for
>> seamless integration into my tests.
>> >
>>
>> I like to use self.described_class instead of passing classes or
>> instances in. Here is an example:
>>
>> def it_should_require_attribute(attribute)
>>  klass = self.described_class
>>  instance = klass.new
>>  instance.send("#{attribute}=", nil)
>>  instance.should_not be_valid
>>  instance.should have(1).error_on(attribute.to_sym)
>> end
>>
>> describe MyModel do
>>  it_should_require_attribute :some_attribute
>> end
>>
>> I''m still using RSpec 1.x on Rails 2.3.x projects and have no
idea if
>> this is supported in RSpec 2.x.
>>
>> Peace.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> rspec-users mailing list
>> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
>> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
>>
>
> Thanks for your reply.
>
> Firstly, I was mistaken, my before block is being called when the it block
> is met in my macro.
>
> I''m using rspec-rails 1.3.4 and Rails 2.3.11
>
> Your code doesn''t really help, though. It''s just another
way of addressing
> what I''m already doing. As I now know my before block is begin
called and I
> have access to an instance variable, I tried a generic name @dut (Domain
> Under Test) and that works. But, I have now lost a meaningful instance
> variable name for non macro tests. Maybe I could just #dup them.
>
>
> Sorry, I should have been more specific. I wasn''t addressing the
issue you
> were having with the before block. I was addressing this:
>
> Could anyone give me some tips on how to approach macros better for
> seamless integration into my tests.
>
>
> Which I understood to mean that if anyone had any ideas about how to make
> the tests simpler/dryer/etc, you''d be happy to hear them. Sorry if
I
> misunderstood and you didn''t find it useful.
>
> Peace.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users
>
I always find replies useful and I thanked you for it. I didn''t know
about
described_class, for example, so I learned something there.

My request for having my macros more seamless was to do with them using the
current environment they were running in (before blocks etc.) I have solved
that by not being so dupid.

I think too much good food over Christmas has made me even softer.

-ants
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