RSpec: The Bad Parts
summary
Claims that RSpec macros are the problem not the language and demonstrates concrete fixes: a real 4,500-line file contains 531 let definitions across 131 method names (78 overridden, some redefined up to 69 times) and 87 subject defs, consuming ~14% of the file; examples come from Ruby on Rails and Mastodon tests. Refactors replace lets with Ruby methods or instance vars and use the inline method refactor, flatten contexts, inline before blocks, and run the suite — tests continue to pass.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:45RSpec let and subject
- 3:29Problems with let and subject
- 7:49Refactoring let and subject
- 10:17DRY in test setup
- 13:21Refactoring Rails test
- 17:32Issues with before blocks
- 19:37Shared examples dangers
- 20:41Summary
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