Getting the Full Rspec Test Name from Within a Before(:Each) Block

Getting the full RSpec test name from within a before(:each) block

In RSpec 2.0 you can use (I'm not sure if it is a best way but it works)

x.example.metadata[:example_group][:full_description]

As for RSpec 1.X I don't know. And that's probably what you are asking for...

How to fetch RSpec test name in before(:each) block without a spec_helper

describe "Main test suite" do
  before(:each) do |x|
    puts "#{x.class.description} - #{x.example.description}"
  end

  it "should run test #1" do
    ...
  end
  it "should run test #2" do
    ...
  end
end

Getting the RSpec example group name from within the before(:all) block

Try this:

config.before :all do |test|
  p test.class.metadata[:example_group][:full_description]
end

RSpec -- test if block called with block defined in before

Try something like this (untested by me):

context "the node definition using block of code" do
  let(:node){
    node = Node.new "arg1", "arg2", node_block
    # more complex stuff here
    node
  }
  context "checking the block is called" do
    let(:node_block) {
      double = double("node_block")
      double.should_receive("some kind of arg").and_return("something")
      # this will now cause a fail if it isn't called
      double
    }
    it "should call the block" do
      node.blah()
    end
  end

  let(:node_block) {
    # some real code
  }

  subject { node.blah() }
  it { should == 2 }
  # ...
end

So that's a very shaky piece of code (you'll have to fill in the gaps as you didn't give very much to go on, and let is obviously a lambda too, which could mean you've got to play around with it a bit) that uses let and a double to check it's called, and avoids using before, which is really for side effects not setting up variables for use in the specs.

@zetetic makes a very insightful comment that you're not testing behaviour here. I'm not against using rspec for doing more unit test style stuff (guidelines are made to be broken), but you might ask how later tests will pass when using a real block of code if that block isn't being called? In a way, I'm not even sure you need to check the block is called, but only you know.

rails rspec before all vs before each

before(:all) runs the block one time before all of the examples are run.

before(:each) runs the block one time before each of your specs in the file

before(:all) sets the instance variables @admission, @project, @creative, @contest_entry one time before all of the it blocks are run.

However, :before(:each) resets the instance variables in the before block every time an it block is run.

Its a subtle distinction but important

again,

before(:all)
#before block is run
it { should belong_to(:owner).class_name('User') }
it { should belong_to(:project) }
it { should have_many(:entry_comments) }

it { should validate_presence_of(:owner) }
it { should validate_presence_of(:project) }
it { should validate_presence_of(:entry_no) }
it { should validate_presence_of(:title) }

before(:each)
# before block
it { should belong_to(:owner).class_name('User') }
# before block
it { should belong_to(:project) }
# before block
it { should have_many(:entry_comments) }
# before block

# before block
it { should validate_presence_of(:owner) }
# before block
it { should validate_presence_of(:project) }
# before block
it { should validate_presence_of(:entry_no) }
# before block
it { should validate_presence_of(:title) }

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