In RSpec, specifically version >= 3, is there any difference between:
- Using
allow
to set up message expectations with parameters that return test doubles, and then usingexpect
to make an assertion on the returned test doubles - Just using
expect
to set up the expectation with parameters and return the test double
or is it all just semantics? I know that providing/specifying a return value with expect
was the syntax in RSpec mocks 2.13, but as far as I can see, the syntax changed in RSpec mocks 3 to use allow
.
However, in the (passing) sample code below, using either allow
/expect
or just expect
/and_return
seems to generate the same result. If one syntax was favoured over another, perhaps I would have expected there to be some kind of deprecation notice, but since there isn't, it would seem that both syntaxes are considered valid:
class Foo
def self.bar(baz)
# not important what happens to baz parameter
# only important that it is passed in
new
end
def qux
# perform some action
end
end
class SomethingThatCallsFoo
def some_long_process(baz)
# do some processing
Foo.bar(baz).qux
# do other processing
end
end
describe SomethingThatCallsFoo do
let(:foo_caller) { SomethingThatCallsFoo.new }
describe '#some_long_process' do
let(:foobar_result) { double('foobar_result') }
let(:baz) { double('baz') }
context 'using allow/expect' do
before do
allow(Foo).to receive(:bar).with(baz).and_return(foobar_result)
end
it 'calls qux method on result of Foo.bar(baz)' do
expect(foobar_result).to receive(:qux)
foo_caller.some_long_process(baz)
end
end
context 'using expect/and_return' do
it 'calls qux method on result of Foo.bar(baz)' do
expect(Foo).to receive(:bar).with(baz).and_return(foobar_result)
expect(foobar_result).to receive(:qux)
foo_caller.some_long_process(baz)
end
end
end
end
If I deliberately make the tests fail by changing the passed-in baz
parameter in the expectation to a different test double, the errors are pretty much the same:
1) SomethingThatCallsFoo#some_long_process using allow/expect calls quux method on result of Foo.bar(baz)
Failure/Error: Foo.bar(baz).qux
<Foo (class)> received :bar with unexpected arguments
expected: (#<RSpec::Mocks::Double:0x3fe97a0127fc @name="baz">)
got: (#<RSpec::Mocks::Double:0x3fe97998540c @name=nil>)
Please stub a default value first if message might be received with other args as well.
# ./foo_test.rb:16:in `some_long_process'
# ./foo_test.rb:35:in `block (4 levels) in <top (required)>'
2) SomethingThatCallsFoo#some_long_process using expect/and_return calls quux method on result of Foo.bar(baz)
Failure/Error: Foo.bar(baz).qux
<Foo (class)> received :bar with unexpected arguments
expected: (#<RSpec::Mocks::Double:0x3fe979935fd8 @name="baz">)
got: (#<RSpec::Mocks::Double:0x3fe979cc5c0c @name=nil>)
# ./foo_test.rb:16:in `some_long_process'
# ./foo_test.rb:43:in `block (4 levels) in <top (required)>'
So, are there any real differences between these two tests, either in result or expressed intent, or is it just semantics and/or personal preference? Should allow
/expect
be used over expect
/and_return
in general as it seems like it's the replacement syntax, or are each of them meant to be used in specific test scenarios?
Update
After reading Mori's answer's, I commented out the Foo.bar(baz).qux
line from the example code above, and got the following errors:
1) SomethingThatCallsFoo#some_long_process using allow/expect calls qux method on result of Foo.bar(baz)
Failure/Error: expect(foobar_result).to receive(:qux)
(Double "foobar_result").qux(any args)
expected: 1 time with any arguments
received: 0 times with any arguments
# ./foo_test.rb:34:in `block (4 levels) in <top (required)>'
2) SomethingThatCallsFoo#some_long_process using expect/and_return calls qux method on result of Foo.bar(baz)
Failure/Error: expect(Foo).to receive(:bar).with(baz).and_return(foobar_result)
(<Foo (class)>).bar(#<RSpec::Mocks::Double:0x3fc211944fa4 @name="baz">)
expected: 1 time with arguments: (#<RSpec::Mocks::Double:0x3fc211944fa4 @name="baz">)
received: 0 times
# ./foo_test.rb:41:in `block (4 levels) in <top (required)>'
- The
allow
spec fails because thefoobar_result
double never gets to stand in for the result ofFoo.bar(baz)
, and hence never has#qux
called on it - The
expect
spec fails at the point ofFoo
never receiving.bar(baz)
so we don't even get to the point of interrogating thefoobar_result
double
Makes sense: it's not just a syntax change, and that expect
/and_return
does have a purpose different to allow
/expect
. I really should have checked the most obvious place: the RSpec Mocks README, specifically the following sections: