Shayan Sobhanian Fixture model class-509884665

Shayan Sobhanian - Fixture Model Class

There is now an optional special key settable in a fixture file to specify the model class name. So if you are using a database table that is named something different from a pluralized version of the class name, you can specify it using the following:

_fixture:

model_class: User

alan:

name: Alan

This was possible in earlier versions by using set_fixture_class within the test case class itself. However, since this setting is related to the fixture rather than the test case, and having it set in the test case precludes fixtures being properly loaded by the task db:fixtures:load, this fixture’s metadata has been moved into the fixture file itself.

The old method isn’t marked for deprecation just yet, but if you make use of this feature, it’s probably a good idea to start using this method instead.

Enum Values

Enums are a sometimes overlooked feature of Active Record, allowing you to use integer database columns to represent a fixed set of values for a model attribute.

Previously, if you used enum attributes in your model, when creating a fixture for that model, you had to use the equivalent integer value of the required value of the enum attribute. This made the fixtures less readable resulting in wasted time having to refer back to the enum definition.

Rails 5 allows you to use a symbol or a string of the enum value rather than the integer representing that value.

For instance, your model defines an enum attribute as follows:

enum :language, [:english, :french]

Whereas previously, you would have to know that english is the first enum value, therefore having the value 0, you can now write the fixture as follows:

fred:

name: Fred

language: :english

Request via Redirect Deprecation

Another deprecation in Rails 5 is a change to the integration test helpers.

In Rails 5, the request_via_redirect integration request helper and all of the associated methods for each of the HTTP request methods (such as post_via_redirect) have been removed. This method was most often used to allow you to perform requests such as post_via_redirect or patch_via_redirect, which performed the request and then followed any subsequent redirects. Since that is a reasonably common behavior for web applications after a POST or PATCH request , it is often found in integration tests.

Thankfully, it is a simple change to continue testing this. All you need to do is perform the desired HTTP request and then manually call follow_redirect! directly afterward.

Summary

Although there are no revolutionary changes to the testing framework in Rails 5, the attention given to the Test Runner is very welcome and the overall performance improvements, especially in integration tests, make a big difference in day-to-day development.

The improvements to fixtures also make life easier in certain cases for more complex applications.

The deprecation of assert_template and assigns is an indicator of both the thinking of the Rails core team and the direction that the test framework may be headed in. It’s definitely worth considering these changes and how they may affect the way that you design your tests.