Rails: Moving a helper method form a test to test_helper.rb

Question

I am trying to move a helper method from a controller test to the test_helper.rb:

# example_controller_test.rb
require 'test_helper'
class ExampleControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
  should 'get index' do
    turn_off_authorization
    get :show
    assert_response :success
  end
end

# test_helper.rb
class ActionController::TestCase
  def turn_off_authorization
    ApplicationController.any_instance
                         .expects(:authorize_action!)
                         .returns(true)
  end
end

However, I'm getting an error:

NameError: undefined local variable or method `turn_off_authorization' for #<ExampleControllerTest:0x000000067d6080>

What am I doing wrong?

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:23

Turns out that I had to wrap the helper method into a module:

# test_helper.rb
class ActionController::TestCase
  module CheatWithAuth do
    def turn_off_authorization
      # some code goes here
    end
  end

  include CheatWithAuth
end

I still don't know why the original version didn't work.

The idea came from another answer: How do I write a helper for an integration test in Rails?

Edit: Another solution just came from my friend:

# test_helper.rb
class ActiveSupport::TestCase
  def turn_off_authorization
    # some code goes here
  end
end

Note that ActiveSupport::TestCase (not ActionController::TestCase) is being used here.

Rails: Moving a helper method form a test to test_helper.rb

1 Answers1