Question

I have the following method:

def save(entity: A): Either[List[Error],A] + {....

which I want to test using specs2

I want to test for the existence of a specific error when a required field is not specified, like this:

val noNickname = User(
  nickname = "",
  name = "new name",
)

noNickname.save must beLeft.like {
  case errors => {
    atLeastOnceWhen(errors) {
      case error => {
        error.errorCode must equalTo(Error.REQUIRED)
        error.field must equalTo("nickname")
      }
    }
  }
}

It works fine, but I’d like to define my own matcher to make it less verbose, like this:

noNickname.save must haveError.like {
    case error => {
      error.errorCode must equalTo(Error.REQUIRED)
      error.field must equalTo("nickname")
    }
  }
}

I had a look at the documentation (http://etorreborre.github.com/specs2/guide/org.specs2.guide.Matchers.html#Matchers) but I can’t figure out how to define a custom matcher like haveError.like

Answer 1

Here your code with a few changes to make it compile:

case class Error(errorCode: String, field: String)
def save[A](entity: A): Either[List[Error],A] = Left(List(Error("REQUIRED", "nickname")))
case class User(nickname: String, name: String)

val noNickname = User(nickname = "", name = "new name")

"save noNickName" >> {
  save(noNickname) must haveError.like {
    case error => {
      error.errorCode must equalTo("REQUIRED")
      error.field must equalTo("nickname")
    }
  }
}

def haveError[T] = new ErrorMatcher[T]

class ErrorMatcher[T] extends Matcher[Either[List[T], _]] {
  def apply[S <: Either[List[T], _]](value: Expectable[S]) = 
    result(value.value.left.toOption.isDefined, 
      value.description + " is Left",
      value.description + " is not Left",
      value)

  def like[U](f: PartialFunction[T, MatchResult[U]]) = 
    this and partialMatcher(f)

  private def partialMatcher[U](f: PartialFunction[T, MatchResult[U]]) = 
    new Matcher[Either[List[T], _]] {

    def apply[S <: Either[List[T], _]](value: Expectable[S]) = {
      // get should always work here because it comes after the "and"
      val errors = value.value.left.toOption.get
      val res = atLeastOnceWhen[T, U](errors)(f)
      result(res.isSuccess,
        value.description+" is Left[T] and "+res.message,
        value.description+" is Left[T] but "+res.message,
        value)
    }
  }
}

Notice that the matcher is defined on Either[List[T], _] everywhere.

I’m also wondering about the failure messages that are returned in case you don’t find the expected error message, they might not be very explicit when the partial function fails.

So you may want to aim for using a contain matcher. Like this:

"save noNickName" >> {
  save(noNickname) must haveError.containing(Error("REQUIRED", "nickname"))
}

// I'm reusing the beLeft matcher here
def haveError[T]: Matcher[Either[List[T], _]] = beLeft

// and using an implicit conversion to extend it
implicit def toErrorListMatcher[T](m: Matcher[Either[List[T], _]]): ErrorListMatcher[T] =    
  new ErrorListMatcher[T](m)

class ErrorListMatcher[T](m: Matcher[Either[List[T], _]]) {
  def containing(t: T) =
    // the 'contain' matcher is adapted to take in an 
    // Either[List[T], _] and work on its left part
    m and contain(t) ^^ ((e: Either[List[T], _]) => e.left.toOption.get)
}

[Update]

The first solution (using atLeastOnceWhen and a partial function) can be combined with the second one (using an implicit) and the beLike matcher, to get maximum reusability of existing specs2 code:

def haveError[T]: Matcher[Either[List[T], _] = beLeft

implicit def toErrorListMatcher[T](m: Matcher[Either[List[T], _]]): ErrorListMatcher[T] = 
  new ErrorListMatcher[T](m)

class ErrorListMatcher[T](m: Matcher[Either[List[T], _]]) {
  // beLike checks one element
  // beLike.atLeastOnce transforms that matcher on a 
  // matcher on a sequence of elements
  def like[S](f: PartialFunction[T, MatchResult[S]]) = {
    m and beLike(f).atLeastOnce ^^ ((e: Either[List[T], _]) => e.left.toOption.get)
}