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Project: RSpec Core 2.13

Publisher: RSpec

User-defined metadata

You can attach user-defined metadata to any example group or example.
Pass a hash as the last argument (before the block) to describe,
context or it. RSpec supports many configuration options that apply
only to certain examples or groups based on the metadata.

Metadata defined on an example group is available (and can be overridden)
by any sub-group or from any example in that group or a sub-group.

In addition, there is a configuration option (which will be the default
behavior in RSpec 3) that allows you to specify metadata using just
symbols:

RSpec.configure do |c|
  c.treat_symbols_as_metadata_keys_with_true_values = true
end

Each symbol passed as an argument to describe, context or it will
be a key in the metadata hash, with a corresponding value of true.

Scenarios
  1. define group metadata using a hash
  2. define example metadata using a hash
  3. override user-defined metadata
  4. less verbose metadata
define group metadata using a hash
Given
a file named "define_group_metadata_with_hash_spec.rb" with: 
describe "a group with user-defined metadata", :foo => 17 do
  it 'has access to the metadata in the example' do
    example.metadata[:foo].should eq(17)
  end

  it 'does not have access to metadata defined on sub-groups' do
    example.metadata.should_not include(:bar)
  end

  describe 'a sub-group with user-defined metadata', :bar => 12 do
    it 'has access to the sub-group metadata' do
      example.metadata[:foo].should eq(17)
    end

    it 'also has access to metadata defined on parent groups' do
      example.metadata[:bar].should eq(12)
    end
  end
end
When
I run rspec define_group_metadata_with_hash_spec.rb
Then
the examples should all pass
define example metadata using a hash
Given
a file named "define_example_metadata_with_hash_spec.rb" with: 
describe "a group with no user-defined metadata" do
  it 'has an example with metadata', :foo => 17 do
    example.metadata[:foo].should eq(17)
    example.metadata.should_not include(:bar)
  end

  it 'has another example with metadata', :bar => 12, :bazz => 33 do
    example.metadata[:bar].should eq(12)
    example.metadata[:bazz].should eq(33)
    example.metadata.should_not include(:foo)
  end
end
When
I run rspec define_example_metadata_with_hash_spec.rb
Then
the examples should all pass
override user-defined metadata
Given
a file named "override_metadata_spec.rb" with: 
describe "a group with user-defined metadata", :foo => 'bar' do
  it 'can be overridden by an example', :foo => 'bazz' do
    example.metadata[:foo].should == 'bazz'
  end

  describe "a sub-group with an override", :foo => 'goo' do
    it 'can be overridden by a sub-group' do
      example.metadata[:foo].should == 'goo'
    end
  end
end
When
I run rspec override_metadata_spec.rb
Then
the examples should all pass
less verbose metadata
Given
a file named "less_verbose_metadata_spec.rb" with: 
RSpec.configure do |c|
  c.treat_symbols_as_metadata_keys_with_true_values = true
end

describe "a group with simple metadata", :fast, :simple, :bug => 73 do
  it 'has :fast => true metadata' do
    example.metadata[:fast].should == true
  end

  it 'has :simple => true metadata' do
    example.metadata[:simple].should == true
  end

  it 'can still use a hash for metadata' do
    example.metadata[:bug].should eq(73)
  end

  it 'can define simple metadata on an example', :special do
    example.metadata[:special].should == true
  end
end
When
I run rspec less_verbose_metadata_spec.rb
Then
the examples should all pass

Last published over 5 years ago by myronmarston.