[rspec-users] authentication, controller specs. I think I'm missing something simple ....

[Rick Tessner]

Hi all,

I feel like I'm missing something really easy and I'm just not seeing
it.

I'm using the restful_authentication plugin and have a User model.  Uesr
has_many :things and Thing belongs_to :user.

That's it.

I did a "script/generate rspec_scaffold thing" to generate all the
necessary bits.  The "rake db:migrate" to create the db.

At this point, a "rake spec" works just fine.  All specs pass.

I add in the "include AuthenticatedSystem" in the ThingsController and
add a line to the "before" section in each of the describe stanzas that
reads:

        controller.should_receive(:login_required).with(no_args).once.and_return(true)

All tests pass just fine at this point as well.

It's this next part where I get really confused about how the spec
should be written.

What I change in the controller itself (and at this point, all methods
are the default generated by the scaffold) is to add scoping of the
current user to the finds:

For example, the "index" method becomes (to find all things for the
current user)

  @things = current_user.things.find(:all)

rather than

  @things = Thing.find(:all)

I run "rake spec" and of course it fails.  So, I try to mock/stub the
current_user and add a stub for the things method on it and it's at this
point that I feel like I'm missing something fundamental since I get
many many failures of various types.

        LocalJumpError in 'ThingsController handling GET /things should
        render index template'
        no block given

is the major error.  If I remove the "find(:all)" a number of these
LocalJumpErrors disappear.  I am interested in how to resolve the
LocalJumpError issue tho since I'm sure it will be a use-case that crops
up in my application.

The basic issue I'm struggling with is how does define mocks/stubs for a
controller method that does something of the form:

  method_a.method_b.find

Pasted code/spec/errors here

      * things_controller http://pastie.caboo.se/69136
      * things_controller_spec http://pastie.caboo.se/69137
      * Errors w/ find(:all)  http://pastie.caboo.se/69138

-- 
Rick
rick.tessner at gmail.com