Project: Aruba

Publisher: Mark Ayers

Set environment variable via API-method

It is quite handy to modify the environment of a process. To make this
possible, aruba provides several methods. One of these is
#set_environment_variable. Using this sets the value of a
non-existing variable and overwrites an existing value. Each variable name
and each value is converted to a string. Otherwise ruby would complain
about an invalid argument. To make use of a variable you can either use #run
and the like or #with_environment. Besides setting a variable globally, you
can set one for a block of code only using #with_environment.

Background

Given: I use the fixture "cli-app"

Scenarios

Non-existing variable
Existing variable set from within the test
Existing variable set by some outer parent process
Set variable via ENV
Existing variable set in before block in RSpec
Run some ruby code in code with previously set environment
Run some ruby code with local environment
Nested setup with rspec
When an error occures the ENV is not polluted
Run some ruby code with nested environment blocks
Re-use `#with_environment` for multiple `RSpec`-`it`-blocks
Mixed-Case variable
Mixed-Case variable
External ruby file / ruby gem modifying ENV

Non-existing variable

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '1' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=1' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Existing variable set from within the test

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '1' }
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '2' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=2' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Existing variable set by some outer parent process

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '1'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '2' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=2' }
  it { expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '1' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Set variable via ENV

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '2' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=2' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Existing variable set in before block in RSpec

Setting environment variables with #set_environment_variable('VAR', 'value') takes
precedence before setting variables with ENV['VAR'] = 'value'.

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '1' }
  before(:each) { ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '2' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=1' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Run some ruby code in code with previously set environment

The #with_environment-block makes the change environment temporary
avaiable for the code run within the block.

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '1'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '2' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it do
    with_environment do
      expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '2'
    end
  end

  it { expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '1' }

end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Run some ruby code with local environment

If you need to set some environment variables only for the given block.
Pass it an Hash containing the environment variables.

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '1'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '2' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it do
    with_environment 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE' => '3' do
      expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '3'
    end
  end

  it { expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '1' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Nested setup with rspec

It doesn't matter if you define an environment variable in some outer
scope, when you are using RSpec.

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '1' }

  describe 'Method XX' do
    before(:each) { run('env') }
    before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

    it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=1' }
  end

  describe 'Method YY' do
    before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '2' }

    before(:each) { run('env') }
    before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

    it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=2' }
  end
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

When an error occures the ENV is not polluted

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '1'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '2' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it do
    begin
      with_environment 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE' => '3' do
        fail
      end
    rescue StandardError
    end

    expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '1'
  end

  it { expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '1' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Run some ruby code with nested environment blocks

It is possible to use a #with_environment-block with a
#with_environment-block. Each previously set variable is available with
the most inner block.

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

ENV['LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '1'
ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '1'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  it do
    with_environment 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE' => 2 do
      with_environment 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE' => 3 do
        expect(ENV['LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '3'
        expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '2'
      end
    end
  end

  it { expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '1' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Re-use `#with_environment` for multiple `RSpec`-`it`-blocks

If you chose to run wrap examples via RSpec's around-hook, make sure you
use before(:context) {} instead of before(:each) to set an environment
variable. Only then the before-hook is run before the around-hook is
run.

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  # Please mind :context. This is run BEFORE the around-hook
  before(:context) { set_environment_variable 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE', '1' }

  context 'when no arguments are given' do
    around(:each) do |example|
      with_environment do
        example.run
      end
    end

    it { expect(ENV['REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '1' }

    before(:each) { run('env') }
    before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

    it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=1' }
  end

  context 'when arguments given' do
    around(:each) do |example|
      with_environment 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE' => 2 do
        example.run
      end
    end

    it { expect(ENV['LONG_LONG_VARIABLE']).to eq '2' }

    before(:each) { run('env') }
    before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

    it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'REALLY_LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=1' }
  end
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

@unsupported-on-platform-windows Mixed-Case variable

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'long_LONG_VARIABLE', '1' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'long_LONG_VARIABLE=1' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

@unsupported-on-platform-unix @unsupported-on-platform-mac Mixed-Case variable

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) { set_environment_variable 'long_LONG_VARIABLE', '1' }

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=1' }
end

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

External ruby file / ruby gem modifying ENV

There are some Rubygems around which need to modify ENV['NODE_PATH'] like ruby-stylus.
This is supported by aruba as well.

Given

a file named "spec/environment_spec.rb" with:

require 'spec_helper'

$LOAD_PATH <<  File.expand_path('../../lib', __FILE__)

RSpec.describe 'Environment command', :type => :aruba do
  before(:each) do
    require 'my_library'
  end

  before(:each) { run('env') }
  before(:each) { stop_all_commands }

  it { expect(last_command_started.output).to include 'LONG_LONG_VARIABLE=1' }
end

And

a file named "lib/my_library.rb" with:

ENV['LONG_LONG_VARIABLE'] = '1'

When

I run rspec

Then

the specs should all pass

Last published over 5 years ago by philoserf.

Set environment variable via API-method

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