rails-rspec error cannot load such file -- rspec/core/formatters/progress_formatter

Question

I've broken my rails-rspec. I switched to a different gemset to run a 3rd party test. When I returned to my 2.3.0(default) gemset, I had the following errors.

running rspec gets:

/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.3.0/gems/activesupport-4.2.0/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:274:in `require': cannot load such file -- rspec/core/formatters/progress_formatter (LoadError)

running rails generate rspec:install returns:

Could not find generator 'rspec:install'. Maybe you meant 'devise:install' or ...

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling, but errors persist.

Running rspec -v returns:

- rspec-core 3.6.0
- rspec-expectations 3.6.0
- rspec-mocks 3.6.0
- rspec-rails 3.6.1
- rspec-support 3.6.0

It seems that ruby cannot find rspec-core. I have tried the workaround from this post without success. Thank you in advance for any insight you might provide.

Running

rails 4.2.0, ruby 2.3.0

score 141 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 24 '18 at 12:17

141

Running bundle exec rspec solved it for me.

answered Jan 24 '18 at 12:17

lafeber

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If you have multiple versions of `rspec` (maybe different apps with different versions of Rails), `bundle exec` ensures you use the one that's defined in your Gemfile. If you run `rails` or `rake` without that, it's possible your system will try to run a different version. – maxhm10 Jun 22 '18 at 05:42
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To expand on above, `bundle exec rspec spec//file_spec.rb`. In other words, run the actual tests with the `bundle exec' prefix. – Martin Sommer Oct 31 '18 at 23:24
The issue here isn't running the wrong spec but using the wrong version of rspec – Mark Nov 13 '18 at 16:02
2

It still doesn't explain why it works. I only have one version of `rspec`. `>gem list --local rspec`: `rspec-core (3.8.0)`. Same version as when I use `rspec -v`. So why would `bundle exec` make any difference? – Chloe Jan 04 '19 at 19:17
If you don't want to have to type `bundle exec rspec` every time, do this: Run `gem list | grep rspec` and pay attention to any gems that list multiple versions. then run `gem uninstall ______` for each of those versions (removing ALL of the versions of each). then run `bundle` afterward. This will sync your versions with the versions in your gemfile. – Jeremy Moritz Jan 15 '20 at 13:28

score 76 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 28 '19 at 07:48

76

Running bundle clean --force did the trick for me, turns out there's some outdated gem in my system

answered Mar 28 '19 at 07:48

Axel

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Also worked for me. This should be marked as the correct answer. – Obie Jul 16 '19 at 11:14
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This worked for me, but I have no idea what it is doing or why it is working. OP (and future readers) - if you know, that would be very much appreciated. chrs – BenKoshy Sep 16 '19 at 02:15
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Looks like running the embedded Rubymine test module broke the command line "rspec ./test.spec" for me. Running it with "bundle exec rspec ./test.spec" also worked, but "bundle clean --force" fixed it. – Mathieu Champagne Aug 12 '21 at 15:44

score 5 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 15 '20 at 13:30

I learned this from Victor Hazbun - expert on CodeMentor and Egghead.io:

Run gem list | grep rspec and pay attention to any gems that list multiple versions.

Then run gem uninstall ______ for each of those versions (removing ALL of the versions of each).

Then run bundle afterward. This will sync your versions with the versions in your gemfile.

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 23 '19 at 20:53

2

I was getting the error below in a rails app and none of the solutions here worked for me.

gems/rspec-core-3.8.0/lib/rspec/core/formatters.rb:210:in `require': cannot load such file -- rspec/core/formatters/progress_formatter (LoadError)

Emptying the gemset and re-installing did.

This assumes you are using rvm and a .ruby-gemset at the root of your app.

$ rvm gemset empty <name-of-gemset>
$ bundle install

answered Apr 23 '19 at 20:53

Joel Sugarman

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Nobody else responded, but this one worked for me, thanks. – AJFaraday Mar 16 '21 at 15:55

score 1 · Answer 5 · edited Dec 27 '17 at 17:14

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I think you should try

bundle exec rspec:install

edited Dec 27 '17 at 17:14

Prakash Pazhanisamy

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answered Dec 27 '17 at 15:16

escray

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This is just flat out wrong. Should not be marked as correct answer. – Obie Jul 16 '19 at 11:14
As the above commenter pointed out, this solution fails with a command not found error. The syntactically correct command would be `bundle exec rails g rspec:install`, but this still didn't fix this problem for me. – RSmithlal Jul 30 '19 at 22:33

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Feb 09 '21 at 02:40

I was trying to make a contribution to CocoaPods and was getting the same error when I was doing rspec foo_spec.rb. Turns out they were NOT using rpsec at all. They seem to have had a special test runner:

CocoaPods uses bacon as a test runner. To run all tests, use bundle exec rake spec in the root of the project. If you want to run a specific test instead, use bundle exec bacon spec/[folder]/[name]_spec.rb

For more on that see here

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Mar 25 '19 at 03:11

0

If you run the specs from RubyMine, you can specific the RSpec version in Run Configuration.

answered Mar 25 '19 at 03:11

aristotll

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rails-rspec error cannot load such file -- rspec/core/formatters/progress_formatter

7 Answers7