h1. !http://railsapps.github.io/images/rails-36x36.jpg(RailsApps Testing Gem)! RailsApps Testing Gem

See a blog post about "Why I wrote this gem":http://blog.railsapps.org/post/84339605200/railsapps-testing-gem. I primarily use RSpec and Capybara for testing, but in principle, the gem could also set up Test::Unit or Cucumber frameworks. Also, you may want other configurations for RSpec, so let me know and we can extend the gem.

If you're new to testing, I've written a tutorial on Rails testing with RSPec:

* "RSpec Tutorial":http://railsapps.github.io/rspec.html

h2. About

Use this gem to set up a testing framework. The gem modifies a Rails application and configures:

* "RSpec Rails":https://github.com/rspec/rspec-rails – installs RSpec gems with support for Rails
* "Capybara":https://github.com/jnicklas/capybara – tests web pages
* "Database Cleaner":https://github.com/bmabey/database_cleaner – a clean slate for databases
* "FactoryGirl Rails":https://github.com/thoughtbot/factory_girl_rails – creates test data
* "Launchy":https://github.com/copiousfreetime/launchy – view errors in your web browser
* "Selenium Webdriver":http://docs.seleniumhq.org/projects/webdriver/ – for tests that require JavaScript

This suite of gems is popular for testing Rails applications. Typically, a developer makes several small configuration changes when setting up a test framework with these gems. The configuration changes are easy to make manually, but this gem provides a generator to make the changes, for ease of use with an automated process such as an application template.

RailsApps Testing is a utility gem to use during development. You can remove it after setting up your test framework. It was originally written for use by the "Rails Composer":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-composer/ tool. Use Rails Composer to build any of the "RailApps example applications":http://railsapps.github.io/ for use as starter apps.

If you like the RailsApps Testing gem, you might be interested in the "RailsLayout gem":https://github.com/RailsApps/rails_layout which generates Rails application layout files for various front-end frameworks such as Bootstrap and Foundation.

h4. !http://railsapps.github.io/images/join/join-railsapps.png(Join RailsApps)!:http://railsapps.github.io/

h4. Support the RailsApps Project

If the RailsApps Testing gem is useful to you, please accept our invitation to "join the RailsApps project":http://railsapps.github.io/. The RailsApps project provides example applications, tutorials, and starter tools, including the RailsApps Testing gem.

h2. Install a Testing Framework

The RailsApps project offers a tutorial on Rails testing with RSPec:

* "RSpec Tutorial":http://railsapps.github.io/rspec.html

To install a testing framework, add the gems you need. Then use the RailsApps Testing gem. It will set up and configure your testing framework.

Add the gems you need to your Rails application Gemfile:

<pre>
group :development do
  gem 'rails_apps_testing'
end
group :development, :test do
  gem 'rspec-rails'
  gem 'factory_girl_rails'
end
group :test do
  gem 'capybara'
  gem 'database_cleaner'
  gem 'launchy'
  gem 'selenium-webdriver'
end
</pre>

You don't need the RailsApps Testing gem deployed to production, so put it in the @development@ group.

If you want to use a newer unreleased version from GitHub:

<pre>
group :development do
  gem 'rails_apps_testing', github: 'RailsApps/rails_apps_testing'
end
</pre>

h4. Use Bundler

Use Bundler to install the gems:

<pre>
$ bundle install
</pre>

h2. Configure RSpec and Friends

To run the generator and configure the testing framework:

<pre>
$ rails generate testing:configure rspec
</pre>

Use @--force@ if you want to overwrite existing files:

<pre>
$ rails generate testing:configure rspec --force
</pre>

h3. RSpec Configuration

The RailsApps Testing generator will remove the legacy *test/* folder if it exists (it is not needed for RSpec).

The RailsApps Testing generator will run @rails generate rspec:install@ to create two files and a folder:

* *.rspec*
* *spec/*
* *spec/rails_helper.rb*

Then the RailsApps Testing generator will configure RSpec.

It will modify the file *.rspec* to add:

<pre>
--format documentation
</pre>

and will remove:

<pre>
--warnings
</pre>

It will modify the file *config/application.rb* to suppress creation of stub files that many developers don't use:

<pre>
config.generators do |g|
  g.test_framework :rspec,
    fixtures: true,
    view_specs: false,
    helper_specs: false,
    routing_specs: false,
    controller_specs: false,
    request_specs: false
  g.fixture_replacement :factory_girl, dir: "spec/factories"
end
</pre>

h3. Capybara and Launchy Configuration

The generator will set up Capybara and Launchy to display CSS and JavaScript with a file *spec/support/capybara.rb*:

<pre>
Capybara.asset_host = 'http://localhost:3000'
</pre>

h3. Database Cleaner Configuration

The generator will set up Database Cleaner to test JavaScript with a file *spec/support/database_cleaner.rb*:

<pre>
RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.before(:suite) do
    DatabaseCleaner.clean_with(:truncation)
  end

  config.before(:each) do
    DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :transaction
  end

  config.before(:each, :js => true) do
    DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :truncation
  end

  config.before(:each) do
    DatabaseCleaner.start
  end

  config.append_after(:each) do
    DatabaseCleaner.clean
  end
end
</pre>

It will also modify *spec/rails_helper.rb*:

<pre>
config.use_transactional_fixtures = false
</pre>

h3. FactoryGirl Configuration

The generator will set up FactoryGirl shortcuts with a file *spec/support/factory_girl.rb*:

<pre>
RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
end
</pre>

h3. Devise Configuration

If Devise in installed in your application, the generator will add a file *spec/support/devise.rb*:

<pre>
RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.include Devise::TestHelpers, :type => :controller
end
</pre>

If you want to install the file *spec/support/devise.rb* independently of the other changes, you can run:

<pre>
$ rails generate testing:configure devise
</pre>

This is helpful for application templates that install RSpec before installing Devise, allowing you to run the generator again to install support for Devise after Devise is installed.

h2. Issues

Any issues? Please create an "issue":http://github.com/RailsApps/rails_apps_testing/issues on GitHub. Reporting issues (and patching!) helps everyone.

h2. Credits

Daniel Kehoe maintains this gem as part of the "RailsApps project":http://railsapps.github.io/.

Please see the "CHANGELOG":https://github.com/RailsApps/rails_apps_testing/blob/master/CHANGELOG.textile for a list of contributors.

Is the gem useful to you? Follow the project on Twitter: "@rails_apps":http://twitter.com/rails_apps. I'd love to know you were helped out by the gem.

h2. MIT License

"MIT License":http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license

Copyright © 2014 Daniel Kehoe

h2. Useful Links

|_. Getting Started |_. Articles |_. Tutorials |
| "Ruby on Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/ruby-and-rails.html |                                     "Analytics for Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-google-analytics.html |                 "Rails Bootstrap":http://railsapps.github.io/twitter-bootstrap-rails.html |
| "What is Ruby on Rails?":http://railsapps.github.io/what-is-ruby-rails.html |                        "Heroku and Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-heroku-tutorial.html |                     "Rails Foundation":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-foundation.html |
| "Learn Ruby on Rails":http://learn-rails.com/learn-ruby-on-rails.html |                              "JavaScript and Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-javascript-include-external.html |     "RSpec Tutorial":http://railsapps.github.io/rspec.html |
| "Rails Tutorial":https://tutorials.railsapps.org/rails-tutorial |                                    "Rails Environment Variables":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-environment-variables.html |    "Rails Devise Tutorial":http://railsapps.github.io/tutorial-rails-devise.html |
| "Ruby on Rails Tutorial for Beginners":http://learn-rails.com/ruby-on-rails-tutorial-for-beginners | "Git and GitHub with Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-git.html |                        "Devise RSpec":http://railsapps.github.io/tutorial-rails-devise-rspec-cucumber.html |
| "Install Ruby on Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/installing-rails.html |                           "Send Email with Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-send-email.html |                     "Devise Bootstrap":http://railsapps.github.io/tutorial-rails-bootstrap-devise-cancan.html |
| "Install Ruby on Rails - Mac OS X":http://railsapps.github.io/installrubyonrails-mac.html |          "Haml and Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-haml.html |                                  "Rails Membership Site with Stripe":https://tutorials.railsapps.org/rails-stripe-membership-saas |
| "Install Ruby on Rails - Ubuntu":http://railsapps.github.io/installrubyonrails-ubuntu.html |         "Rails Application Layout":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-default-application-layout.html |  "Rails Subscription Site with Recurly":https://tutorials.railsapps.org/rails-recurly-subscription-saas |
| "Ruby on Rails - Nitrous.io":http://railsapps.github.io/rubyonrails-nitrous-io.html |                "HTML5 Boilerplate for Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-html5-boilerplate.html |        "Startup Prelaunch Signup Application":https://tutorials.railsapps.org/rails-prelaunch-signup |
| "Update Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/updating-rails.html |                                      "Example Gemfiles for Rails":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-3-2-example-gemfile.html |
| "Rails Composer":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-composer/ |                                        "Rails Application Templates":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-application-templates.html |
| "Rails Examples":http://railsapps.github.io/ |                                                       "Rails Product Planning":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-product-planning.html |
| "Rails Starter Apps":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-examples-tutorials.html |                      "Rails Project Management":http://railsapps.github.io/rails-project-management.html |