Generating RSpec Examples via Functions - ruby-on-rails

Question

I'm trying to add a function to allow for quick testing of redirects for unauthenticated users. Here's what I have so far:
def unauthenticated_redirects_to redirect_path #yeild
context "when not signed in" do
it "redirects to #{redirect_path}" do
yield
expect(response).to redirect_to redirect_path
end
end
end
describe SomeController do
describe 'GET #show' do
unauthenticated_redirects_to('/some_path') { get :show }
context "when signed in" do
# One thing...
# Another thing...
end
end
describe 'GET #whatever' do
unauthenticated_redirects_to('/some_other_path') { get :whatever }
end
end
This doesn't work, however, since the scope and context of the primary describe block is not available to the block passed to unauthenticated_redirects_to. This reasonably leads to the error: undefined method `get' for RSpec::Core::ExampleGroup::Nested_1::Nested_2:Class.
Is there a way around this or is there a cleaner way to accomplish something similar which I should consider?

Answer 1

Here's an approach using shared examples which triggers the example based on shared metadata (:auth => true in this case) and which parses the example group description to pick up some key parameters.
require 'spec_helper'
class SomeController < ApplicationController
end
describe SomeController, type: :controller do
shared_examples_for :auth => true do
it "redirects when not signed in" do
metadata = example.metadata
description = metadata[:example_group][:description_args][0]
redirect_path = metadata[:failure_redirect]
http_verb = description.split[0].downcase.to_s
controller_method = description.match(/#(.*)$/)[1]
send(http_verb, controller_method)
expect(response).to redirect_to redirect_path
end
end
describe 'GET #show', :auth => true, :failure_redirect => '/some_path' do
context "when signed in" do
# One thing...
# Another thing...
end
end
describe 'GET #whatever', :auth => true, :failure_redirect => '/some_other_path' do
end
end

Answer 2

For completeness, here's another shared examples approach, this time using a block parameter with a before call which avoids the original scope problem:
require 'spec_helper'
class SomeController < ApplicationController
end
describe SomeController, type: :controller do
shared_examples_for 'auth ops' do
it "redirects when not signed in" do
expect(response).to redirect_to redirect_path
end
end
describe 'GET #show' do
it_behaves_like 'auth ops' do
let(:redirect_path) {'/some_path'}
before {get :show}
end
context "when signed in" do
# One thing...
# Another thing...
end
end
describe 'GET #new' do
it_behaves_like 'auth ops' do
let(:redirect_path) {'/some_other_path'}
before {get :whatever}
end
end
end

Answer 3

Have a look at rspec shared example.

Answer 4

Using shared_examples_for seemed like overkill given that I was only concerned with a single example. Furthermore, it_behaves_like("unauthenticated redirects to", '/some_other_path', Proc.new{ get :whatever}) seems unnecessarily verbose. The trick is to use #send() to maintain the proper scope.
def unauthenticated_redirects_to path, method_action
context "when not signed in" do
it "redirects to #{path} for #{method_action}" do
send(method_action.first[0], method_action.first[1])
expect(response).to redirect_to path
end
end
end
describe 'GET #new' do
unauthenticated_redirects_to '/path', :get => :new
end