How to call same methods inside and outside 'context' and 'it' block - ruby

Question

Below is a simple rspec example:
describe 'Emails' do
email_ids.each do |email_id|
it "should display #{email_id}" do
end
end
end
def email_ids
[
'test1#example.com',
'test2#example.com',
'test3#example.com'
]
end
The above does not work, as methods are not accessible outside the it block.
Please advise how to make the method email_ids accessible outside the it block.

Answer 1

describe creates a (nested) class and evaluates the given block within that class:
describe 'Foo' do
p self #=> RSpec::ExampleGroups::Foo
describe '' do
p self #=> RSpec::ExampleGroups::Foo::Bar
end
end
it blocks on the other hand are evaluated in the corresponding class' instance:
describe 'Foo' do
it 'foo' do
p self #=> #<RSpec::ExampleGroups::Foo ...>
end
end
If you define a method via def email_ids, it becomes an instance method and is therefore only available within the instance, i.e. within it.
In order to make a method available within describe, you have to define it as a class method, i.e via def self.email_ids:
describe 'Emails' do
def self.email_ids
%w[test1#example.com test2#example.com test3#example.com]
end
email_ids.each do |email_id|
it "should display #{email_id}" do
end
end
end
Output:
Emails
should display test1#example.com
should display test2#example.com
should display test3#example.com
You can also reuse the helper method across multiple tests by putting it in a module and using extend. See Define helper methods in a module for more examples.

Answer 2

I have better solution for this, than above.
1.using 'procs' or just local variable as below:
email_ids = ->{ %w[test1#example.com test2#example.com test3#example.com] }
email_ids = { %w[test1#example.com test2#example.com test3#example.com] }
Scope of proc & local variable will be same, but if you want to pass an argument then 'procs' are useful.
2.Define 'email_ids' method in module and include that module in spec, so that method will be accessible inside and outside the 'it' block
module EmailFactoryHelper
def email_ids
%w[test1#example.com test2#example.com test3#example.com]
end
end
include in specs as below:
require 'factories_helper/email_factory_helper'
include EmailFactoryHelper
describe 'Emails' do
email_ids.call.each do |email_id|
it "should display #{email_id}" do
page.should have_content "#{email_id}"
end
end
end
Output:
Emails
should display test1#example.com
should display test2#example.com
should display test3#example.com
Finished in 41.56 seconds
3 examples, 0 failures
I have preferred step-2

Answer 3

Rather than using proc or scopes,
Simply use local variables outside describe block.
email_ids = [
'test1#example.com',
'test2#example.com',
'test3#example.com'
]
describe 'Emails' do
end

Answer 4

The solution is to simply define your structure within scope, instead of returning it from a method call:
EMAILS = [
'test1#example.com',
'test2#example.com',
'test3#example.com'
]
EMAILS.each do |email|
it "should display #{email}" do
end
end

Answer 5

The method wasn't accessible because you called the method before you defined the method. This simpler script has the same problem:
p email_ids
def email_ids
[
'test1#example.com',
'test2#example.com',
'test3#example.com'
]
end
"undefined local variable or method `email_ids' for main:Object (NameError)"
You must define your methods before you call them. You can solve this problem by moving the def email_ids above the describe 'Emails'.

Answer 6

short version of #stefan's answer:
needs to be
def self.email_ids
# stuff
end
(def self.method for context/describe/etc; def method for it/etc)