Testing Rails ActiveRecord before_create method with Rspec

Question

I found that stackoverflow old post that suggests model_entity.send(:before_create) but now it doesn't work. So, how can I test method that should execute before create, update, destroy.There is another post but i can't figure out, what I should do in my case.

class User < ActiveRecord::Base

  before_create do |user|
    user.secure_token = UUID.new.generate
  end
end

The point is I can just make a method with this code, and call it. Is there any other ways?

In general, if I want to test after_create method, that only have in my model at all, I should create Model Object and check it. But, I guess, it's unnecessary actions. I could just check this method without creation any instances.

Oswaldo Ferreira · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-21 01:09:23Z

5

There's a dry way of doing this:

expect{ user.save }.to change{ user.secure_token }

answered Feb 21, 2014 at 1:09

Oswaldo Ferreira

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Comments

Matt Connolly · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-20 12:43:45Z

3

Just found something tricky. If you need to validate the actual result, validate that separately, because the current rspec doesn't pass the return value of the function :secure_token= if you use the .should_receive(:secure_token=). Example:

Model as above:

describe "verifies that secure_token= is called" do
  @user = User.new
  @user.should_receive(:secure_token=)
  @user.save
end

describe "verifies the result is set" do
  @user = User.new
  @user.save
  expect(@user.secure_token).not_to be_empty
end

But if you put the expect not to be empty in the same test as the should_receive, then the test will fail.

answered Feb 20, 2013 at 12:43

Matt Connolly

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Comments

Marcin Olichwirowicz · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-18 17:11:28Z

2

If you are using rspec, I'm guessing you can do:

@user = User.new
@user.should_receive(:secure_token)
@user.save

answered Sep 18, 2012 at 17:11

Marcin Olichwirowicz

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5 Comments

Alexander Kireyev Over a year ago

So, if it shouldn't receive it throws something? How can I form it as test.

before(:each) do       @user = User.new    end     it "should have a secure_token" do       @user.should_receive(:secure_token)       @user.save    end

Marcin Olichwirowicz Over a year ago

As an errors says, your test expects "during save your object is calling 'secure_token' method once", but somehow your code is calling this method two times. It looks like, there is some other callback method (in User object) which is setting secure_token on this object.

Alexander Kireyev Over a year ago

Yes, there is a validation. If it calls, so it does call twice.

Marcin Olichwirowicz Over a year ago

So you can do two things: @user.should_receive(:secure_token).twice, or @user.save(:validate => false) (saving without validation)

Matt Connolly Over a year ago

shouldn't it be @user.should_receive(:secure_token=) note the =...?

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