Feature: Composing Matchers RSpec's matchers are designed to be composable so that you can combine them to express the exact details of what you expect but nothing more. This can help you avoid writing over-specified brittle specs, by using a matcher in place of an exact value to specify only the essential aspects of what you expect. The following matchers accept matchers as arguments: * `change { }.by(matcher)` * `change { }.from(matcher).to(matcher)` * `contain_exactly(matcher, matcher, matcher)` * `end_with(matcher, matcher)` * `include(matcher, matcher)` * `include(:key => matcher, :other => matcher)` * `match(arbitrary_nested_structure_with_matchers)` * `output(matcher).to_stdout` * `output(matcher).to_stderr` * `raise_error(ErrorClass, matcher)` * `start_with(matcher, matcher)` * `throw_symbol(:sym, matcher)` * `yield_with_args(matcher, matcher)` * `yield_successive_args(matcher, matcher)` Note that many built-in matchers do not accept matcher arguments because they have precise semantics that do not allow for a matcher argument. For example, `equal(some_object)` is designed to pass only if the actual and expected arguments are references to the same object. It would not make sense to support a matcher argument here. All of RSpec's built-in matchers have one or more aliases that allow you to use a noun-phrase rather than verb form since they read better as composed arguments. They also provide customized failure output so that the failure message reads better as well. A full list of these aliases is out of scope here, but here are some of the aliases used below: * `be < 2` => `a_value < 2` * `be > 2` => `a_value > 2` * `be_an_instance_of` => `an_instance_of` * `be_within` => `a_value_within` * `contain_exactly` => `a_collection_containing_exactly` * `end_with` => `a_string_ending_with`, `ending_with` * `match` => `a_string_matching` * `start_with` => `a_string_starting_with` For a full list, see the API docs for the `RSpec::Matchers` module. Scenario: Composing matchers with `change` Given a file named "change_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `change`" do specify "you can pass a matcher to `by`" do k = 0 expect { k += 1.05 }.to change { k }. by( a_value_within(0.1).of(1.0) ) end specify "you can pass matchers to `from` and `to" do s = "food" expect { s = "barn" }.to change { s }. from( a_string_matching(/foo/) ). to( a_string_matching(/bar/) ) end end """ When I run `rspec change_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `contain_exactly` Given a file named "contain_exactly_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `contain_exactly`" do specify "you can pass matchers in place of exact values" do expect(["barn", 2.45]).to contain_exactly( a_value_within(0.1).of(2.5), a_string_starting_with("bar") ) end end """ When I run `rspec contain_exactly_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `end_with` Given a file named "end_with_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `end_with`" do specify "you can pass matchers in place of exact values" do expect(["barn", "food", 2.45]).to end_with( a_string_matching("foo"), a_value > 2 ) end end """ When I run `rspec end_with_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `include` Given a file named "include_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `contain_exactly`" do specify "you can use matchers in place of array values" do expect(["barn", 2.45]).to include( a_string_starting_with("bar") ) end specify "you can use matchers in place of hash values" do expect(:a => "food", :b => "good").to include(:a => a_string_matching(/foo/)) end specify "you can use matchers in place of hash keys" do expect("food" => "is good").to include( a_string_matching(/foo/) ) end end """ When I run `rspec include_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `match`: Given a file named "match_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `match`" do specify "you can match nested data structures against matchers" do hash = { :a => { :b => ["foo", 5], :c => { :d => 2.05 } } } expect(hash).to match( :a => { :b => a_collection_containing_exactly( a_string_starting_with("f"), an_instance_of(Fixnum) ), :c => { :d => (a_value < 3) } } ) end end """ When I run `rspec match_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `output` Given a file named "output_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `output`" do specify "you can pass a matcher in place of the output (to_stdout)" do expect { print 'foo' }.to output(a_string_starting_with('f')).to_stdout end specify "you can pass a matcher in place of the output (to_stderr)" do expect { warn 'foo' }.to output(a_string_starting_with('f')).to_stderr end end """ When I run `rspec output_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `raise_error` Given a file named "raise_error_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `raise_error`" do specify "you can pass a matcher in place of the message" do expect { raise RuntimeError, "this goes boom" }.to raise_error(RuntimeError, a_string_ending_with("boom")) end end """ When I run `rspec raise_error_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `start_with` Given a file named "start_with_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `start_with`" do specify "you can pass matchers in place of exact values" do expect(["barn", "food", 2.45]).to start_with( a_string_matching("bar"), a_string_matching("foo") ) end end """ When I run `rspec start_with_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `throw_symbol` Given a file named "throw_symbol_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `throw_symbol`" do specify "you can pass a matcher in place of a throw arg" do expect { throw :pi, Math::PI }.to throw_symbol(:pi, a_value_within(0.01).of(3.14)) end end """ When I run `rspec throw_symbol_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `yield_with_args` Given a file named "yield_with_args_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `yield_with_args`" do specify "you can pass matchers in place of the args" do expect { |probe| "food".tap(&probe) }.to yield_with_args(a_string_matching(/foo/)) end end """ When I run `rspec yield_with_args_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers with `yield_successive_args` Given a file named "yield_successive_args_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing matchers to `yield_successive_args`" do specify "you can pass matchers in place of the args" do expect { |probe| [1, 2, 3].each(&probe) }.to yield_successive_args(a_value < 2, 2, a_value > 2) end end """ When I run `rspec yield_successive_args_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass Scenario: Composing matchers using a compound `and` expression Given a file named "include_spec.rb" with: """ruby RSpec.describe "Passing a compound matcher expression to `include`" do example do expect(["food", "drink"]).to include( a_string_starting_with("f").and ending_with("d")) end end """ When I run `rspec include_spec.rb` Then the examples should all pass