Search command output for string minitest

Question

I'm trying to create a minitest for chef (minitest::spec) and I'm a little lost at how to accomplish what I want in ruby.

What I want to do is have the code run the 'date' command and then check if the output contains 'UTC'.

I have this so far, but I don't know how to check the output for 'true':

it "uses the correct timezone" do
    timezone_check = shell_out("date")
    timezone_check.to_s.include?('UTC')
end

I tried to use .must_output, but I don't know how to incorporate it. Is this even the best way to accomplish what I want?

Any input is appreciated!

Thanks.

EDIT: I have now tried this:

  it "uses the correct timezone" do
    date_input = `date`
    proc { puts date_input.to_s }.must_output /UTC/
  end

but it results in this:

Failure:
test_0002_uses_the_correct_timezone(recipe::base::default) [/var/chef/minitest/base/default_test.rb:18]:
In stdout.
--- expected
+++ actual
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-/UTC/
+"Fri Apr 19 17:50:27 UTC 2013
+"

Take a look at the MiniTest::Expectations docs. http://bfts.rubyforge.org/minitest/MiniTest/Expectations.html or, if that is still confusing, take a look at http://www.rubyinside.com/a-minitestspec-tutorial-elegant-spec-style-testing-that-comes-with-ruby-5354.html — Dan Reedy, Apr 19 '13 at 17:16
haha I actually had those two pages open when you posted :) They don't really explain what each one does and I'm not super familiar with ruby so I don't know how to implement them without examples... — shlant, Apr 19 '13 at 17:23

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 19 '13 at 17:33

1

Wrap it in a proc and try using must_output. The test would probably look like:

it "uses the correct timezone" do
    proc { timezone_check = shell_out("date") }.should_output /UTC/
end

Not entirely sure from the documentation that the should_output method will accept a pattern, but if you can write the test such that you know precisely the entire output expected, then you can simply test against the full expected string. E.g.

it "uses the correct timezone" do
    proc { timezone_check = shell_out("date") }.should_output("Fri Apr 19 12:33:13 CDT 2013")
end

answered Apr 19 '13 at 17:33

jefflunt

33,527
7
88
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I tried using the first example with must_output, but the shell_out seems to be producing nothing: `1) Failure: test_0002_uses_the_correct_timezone(recipe::base::default) [/var/chef/minitest/base/default_test.rb:17]: In stdout. Expected: /UTC/ Actual: ""` – shlant Apr 19 '13 at 17:40
and I can't use the second example because the output will be different every time. – shlant Apr 19 '13 at 17:41

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 19 '13 at 17:49

1

Testing shell_out requires you to test against stdout

it "uses the correct timezone" do
  timezone_check = shell_out("date")
  timezone_check.stdout.must_match /UTC/
end

For more examples check out Cookbook Integration Testing

answered Apr 19 '13 at 17:49

Dan Reedy

1,872
10
13

Search command output for string minitest

2 Answers2