RSpec Essentials

Mani Tadayon

Apr 2016 · Packt Publishing Ltd

About this eBook

Develop testable, modular, and maintainable Ruby software for the real world using RSpecAbout This BookExplore the concept of testability and how to implement tests that deliver the most valueMaximize the quality of your Ruby code through a wide variety of testsMaster the real-world tradeoffs of testing through detailed examples supported by in-depth discussionWho This Book Is For

This book is aimed at the software engineer who wants to make their code more reliable and their development process easier. It is also aimed at test engineers who need to automate the testing of complex systems. Knowledge of Ruby is helpful, but even someone new to the language should find it easy to follow the code and tests.

What You Will LearnIdentify a unit of software for the purposes of testingManage test states with hooks, fixtures, and mocksHandle external web services in tests using various techniquesConfigure RSpec flexibly and cleanly using support code and environment variablesInteract with rich web apps in tests using CapybaraBuild the right feature with behavior-driven developmentCustomize matchers and failure messagesVerify correct development and production environmentsIn Detail

This book will teach you how to use RSpec to write high-value tests for real-world code. We start with the key concepts of the unit and testability, followed by hands-on exploration of key features. From the beginning, we learn how to integrate tests into the overall development process to help create high-quality code, avoiding the dangers of testing for its own sake.

We build up sample applications and their corresponding tests step by step, from simple beginnings to more sophisticated versions that include databases and external web services. We devote three chapters to web applications with rich JavaScript user interfaces, building one from the ground up using behavior-driven development (BDD) and test-driven development (TDD).

The code examples are detailed enough to be realistic while simple enough to be easily understood. Testing concepts, development methodologies, and engineering tradeoffs are discussed in detail as they arise. This approach is designed to foster the reader's ability to make well-informed decisions on their own.

Style and approach

This comprehensive tutorial is packed with real-world examples of testing with RSpec. The most important features of RSpec are introduced in the early chapters and are used in examples of growing complexity in the following chapters. Concepts and methodologies are discussed in detail.

About the author

Mani Tadayon first learned to program as a shy 7th grader on an Apple IIe using BASIC. He went on to learn Pascal, C++, Java, JavaScript, Visual Basic, and PHP before becoming a Ruby developer in 2008. With 15 years of experience in the software industry, he has developed expertise in web development, infrastructure, and testing. Mani's interests and education are broad, with degrees in foreign languages, computer science, and geography. He lives just far enough from Silicon Valley with his family and their many, many Shiba Inus.