rspec

name	rspec
description	RSpec Ruby testing framework. Use for Ruby testing.

RSpec

RSpec is the primary testing tool for Ruby (especially Rails). It focuses on "Behavior Driven Development" (BDD), making tests read like documentation specifications.

When to Use

• Ruby/Rails Projects: The community standard (over Minitest) for complex apps.
• Documentation: You want tests that generate readable specs.

Quick Start

# user_spec.rb
RSpec.describe User, type: :model do
  context "when newly created" do
    it "has no name" do
      user = User.new
      expect(user.name).to be_nil
    end
  end
end

Core Concepts

describe vs context

• describe: Describes the thing being tested (Class, Method).
• context: Describes the condition ("when user is logged in").

Let and Let!

Lazy-loaded variables.

• let(:user) { User.create }: Created only when referenced.
• let!(:user) { User.create }: Created before each test (eager).

Matchers

expect(x).to eq(y), be_valid, change { User.count }.by(1).

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Use subject: Define the subject of the test explicitly.
• Keep it blocks short: One expectation per block ideally.
• Use FactoryBot: Don't use Fixtures (YAML). Use Factories to build test data.

Don't:

• Don't overuse before(:all): It introduces shared state between examples. Use before(:each) (default).
• Don't put logic in specs: Specs should verify behavior, not calculate it.

References

• RSpec Documentation