Testing a general controller action using rspec - ruby-on-rails

Question

Here's how my routes look like:
/article/:id/:action {:root=>"article", :controller=>"article/article", :title=>"Article"}
Here's how my controller looks like:
# app/controllers/article/article_controller.rb
class ArticleController < ApplicationController
def save_tags
# code here
end
end
I want to test the save_tags action so I write my spec like this:
describe ArticleController do
context 'saving tags' do
post :save_tags, tag_id => 123, article_id => 1234
# tests here
end
end
But when I run this spec, I get the error
ActionController::RoutingError ...
No route matches {:controller=>"article/article", :action=>"save_tags"}
I think the issue is the save_tags action is a general controller action, ie. there's no /article/:id/save_tags in routes. What's the best way to test this controller action?

Answer 1

You're spot on. The issue is that you're looking for a route which doesn't have :id in it, but you don't have one. You'll need to pass a parameter to the post :save_tags of :id, and given the above question, I believe it is what you are calling article_id.
Therefore, try changing your test to:
describe ArticleController do
context 'saving tags' do
post :save_tags, tag_id => 123, id => 1234
# tests here
end
end
Update
Rails might be getting confused because you're using :action in your route and I believe action is either a reserved word or a word that Rails treats as special. Maybe try changing your routes to:
/article/:id/:method_name {:root=>"article", :controller=>"article/article", :title=>"Article"}
And your test to:
describe ArticleController do
context 'saving tags' do
post :save_tags, { :tag_id => 123, :article_id => 1234, :method_name => "save_tags" }
# tests here
end
end

Answer 2

You need a route to map to your controller actions
post '/article/:id/save_tags'
should work, or consider using resources helper to build your routes
# creates the routes new, create, edit, update, show, destroy, index
resources :articles
# you can exclude any you do not want
resources :articles, except: [:destroy]
# add additional routes that require an article in the member block
resources :articles do
member do
post 'save_tags'
end
end
# add additional routes that do NOT require an article in the collection block
resources :articles do
collection do
post 'publish_all'
end
end