RSpec tests for a cash flow model

Question

This is my first model RSpec test:

require 'spec_helper'

describe CashFlow do
  context 'DB Fields' do
    it { should have_db_column :amount_cents }
    it { should have_db_column :amount_currency }
    it { should have_db_column :user_id }

    it { should have_db_column :target_date }
    it { should have_db_column :created_at }
    it { should have_db_column :updated_at }
  end

  context 'Associations' do
    it { should belong_to :user }
    it { should have_and_belong_to_many :tags }
  end

  context 'Validation' do
    it { should validate_presence_of :amount_cents }
    it { should validate_numericality_of :amount_cents }
    it { should ensure_exclusion_of(:amount_cents).in_array([0,]) }

    it { should validate_presence_of :amount_currency }
    it { should validate_presence_of :target_date }

    it { should validate_presence_of :user }
  end

  context 'Scopes' do
    subject { CashFlow }

    context 'Incoming/Outcoming flows' do
      let(:incoming_cash_flows) { 4.times.map { create :cash_flow } }
      let(:outcoming_cash_flows) { 4.times.map { create :cash_flow, negative: true } }

      it 'should be able to return all and only incomings cash_flows' do
        expect(subject.incoming).to include *incoming_cash_flows
        expect(subject.incoming).not_to include *outcoming_cash_flows
      end

      it 'should be able to return all and only outcomings cash_flows' do
        expect(subject.outcoming).to include *outcoming_cash_flows
        expect(subject.outcoming).not_to include *incoming_cash_flows
      end
    end

    context 'Past/Future flows' do
      [-1, nil, 1].each do |num|
        _threshold = num ? Date.today + num.year : nil

        let(:threshold) { _threshold }
        let(:future_cash_flows) { 4.times.map { create :cash_flow, threshold: threshold } }
        let(:past_cash_flows) { 4.times.map { create :cash_flow, past: true, threshold: threshold } }

        it "should be able to return all and only past cash_flows with #{_threshold || 'current date (default)'} threshold" do
          expect(subject.past(threshold)).to include *past_cash_flows
          expect(subject.past(threshold)).not_to include *future_cash_flows
        end

        it "should be able to return all and only future cash_flows with #{_threshold || 'current date (default)'} threshold" do
          expect(subject.future(threshold)).to include *future_cash_flows
          expect(subject.future(threshold)).not_to include *past_cash_flows
        end
      end
    end
  end

  it 'should save specified currency' do
    %w(GEL RUB USD EUR).each do |currency|
      cash_flow_id = create(:cash_flow, currency: currency).id

      cash_flow = CashFlow.find(cash_flow_id)
      expect(cash_flow.amount.currency).to eq currency
    end
  end
end

Model:

class CashFlow < ActiveRecord::Base
  belongs_to :user
  has_and_belongs_to_many :tags

  monetize :amount_cents, with_model_currency: :amount_currency

  validates_presence_of :user, :target_date, :amount_cents, :amount_currency
  validates_exclusion_of :amount_cents, in: [0, ]

  scope :incoming, -> { where 'amount_cents > 0' }
  scope :outcoming, -> { where 'amount_cents < 0' }

  scope :past, lambda { |date = nil | where 'target_date < ?', date || Date.today}
  scope :future, lambda { |date = nil | where 'target_date > ?', date || Date.today}
end

Factory:

FactoryGirl.define do
  factory :cash_flow do
    association :user

    ignore do
      negative false
      past false
      threshold nil
      currency 'USD'
    end

    after :build do |cash_flow, evaluator|
      sign = evaluator.negative ? -1 : 1
      cash_flow.amount = Money.new((rand(10000) + 1) * sign, evaluator.currency || currency)

      sign = evaluator.past ? -1 : 1
      cash_flow.target_date = (evaluator.threshold || Date.today) + ((rand(60 * 24 * 30) + 1) * sign).minutes
    end
  end
end

What can you tell me about its readability, flexibility and coverage fullness?

I use factory girl, shoulda and money gems.

Answer 1

First thing: congratulations on starting with rspec! Way to go.

My first remark would be to remove your three first contexts (Fields, Associations & Validations).

Why? Because those are not testing any parts of your code - they are testing ActiveModel functionalities. You want to test your code, not your librairies - at least, not without a very good reason to think that there is a problem there. This is time spent to write specs that do not provide any benefits.

On the other side, while your model don't have much logic yet, I like the fact that you tested your scopes - this is your logic, and it should be tested.

Answer 2

Sounds quite complete. I just do not like to have any logic in my tests that make it hard to debug, like you did when executed some test using array [-1, nil, 1] . Also make sense what first comment says, to do not test the framework, but do test your code.