Question

There is a session variable used in controller for create. How to set the session variable for rspec test?

Here is the method create in controller w/ session[eng_dh] :

  def create
    if session[:eng_dh] 

      @category = Category.new(params[:category], :as => :roles_new)    

      if @category.save

        redirect_to categories_path, :notice => 'Category was successfully created.'         
      else
        render :action => "new" 
      end
    else
      redirect_to categories_path, :notice =>"NO access to create category!"
    end
  end 

Here is the failing rspec code:

require 'spec_helper'

describe CategoriesController do
  before(:each) do
    #the following recognizes that there is a before filter without execution of it.
    controller.should_receive(:require_signin)
    controller.should_receive(:require_employee)
  end

  render_views

  describe "Post 'create'" do
    describe "success" do
      before(:each) do
        @category = Factory(:category)
        session[:eng_dh] = true  #THIS LINE CAUSED ERROR ( undefined method `stringify_keys' for "1":String) IN RSPEC TEST!!!
      end

      it "should create a category" do
        lambda do
          post :create, :category => @category
        end.should change(Category, :count).by(1)
      end

      it "should redirect to the category index page" do
        post :create, :category => @category
        response.should redirect_to(categories_path)
      end
    end

  end
end

Any solutions? Thanks.

Answer 1

You should be able to set a session variable using that syntax.

The undefined method 'stringify_keys' is not due to your setting of the session variable, rather it’s in the construction of the POST parameters from your @category object. The @category object has already been saved; post expects a hash.

Properly sending the post params will fix it:

@category = Factory.attributes_for(:category)

Your test began to fail when you added the session line because your controller will only try to save when that session var is in place. Without the session var, create does nothing, but your Factory line has already saved the row. That’s a false “pass”.