Valid Model Parameters
While writing tests in rails, we frequently use the pattern :
@article = create_article(:title => nil)
@article.should have_at_least(1).error_on(:title)
and in the bottom of the test, we define a create_article. For the next model, say Project, you define also another one in the bottom.
Previously at our company, we’ve been extracting most of our valid model parameters into a module like so
module ValidParameters
def valid_article
{ :title => 'My Article' }
end
end
Which is very useful when you need to create a model, and the last thing we want is unnecessarily having DAMP code.
But what of combining the two approaches?
I just created a module, which I’ll extract to a plugin at a future date which does exactly that. Basically you add parameters with a DSL-like syntax :
module ValidParameters
valid :article, :title => 'My Article'
valid :project, :name => 'Hedgehog', :owner_id => 1
end
and in your tests you can then do either :
post :create, :article => valid_article
or
lamba { create_article }.should have_difference(Article, :count)
or finally with invalid parameters
lambda { create_article(:title => nil) }.should_not have_difference(Article, :count)
Neat huh?
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