Sending custom headers through RSpec

Question

Given my API consumers are required to send a customer HTTP header like this:

# curl -H 'X-SomeHeader: 123' http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/api_call.json

Then I can read this header in a before_filter method like this:

# app/controllers/api_controller.rb
class ApiController < ApplicationController
    before_filter :log_request

private
    def log_request
        logger.debug "Header: #{request.env['HTTP_X_SOMEHEADER']}"
        ...
    end
end

So far great. Now I would like to test this using RSpec as there is a change in behavior:

# spec/controllers/api_controller_spec.rb
describe ApiController do
    it "should process the header" do
        @request.env['HTTP_X_SOMEHEADER'] = '123'
        get :api_call
        ...
    end
end

However, the request received in ApiController will not be able to find the header variable.

When trying the same code with the HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE header, it will work. Are custom headers filtered somewhere?

PS: Some examples around the web use request instead of @request. While I'm not certain which one is correct as of the current Rails 3.2/RSpec 2.14 combination - both methods will not trigger the right behavior, BUT both work with HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE as well.

alexey_the_cat · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-28T13:19:50.783

25

well, maybe too late for people but just to be lined up:

it 'should get profile when authorized' do
  user = FactoryGirl.create :user
  request.headers[EMAIL_TOKEN] = user.email
  request.headers[AUTH_TOKEN] = user.authentication_token
  get :profile
  response.should be success
end

just call request.headers with appropriate settings.

edited May 28 '14 at 13:19

answered May 13 '14 at 15:15

alexey_the_cat

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2

@request is nil for me – Mark Murphy May 27 '14 at 19:08
1

sorry, fixed, should be without @ – alexey_the_cat May 28 '14 at 13:20
2

`request` is also nil – Mark Murphy May 28 '14 at 16:58
1

make sure u have "render_views" under ur controller spec file – alexey_the_cat May 29 '14 at 06:41
2

Doesn't work for me. I've tried @request.headers['X-DeviceId'] = 'fd243cde'` (also `request`...). The header will not arrive. Is this in a controller spec? Are you able to read the value in a before_filter? – Sebastian Roth Aug 15 '14 at 07:26
1

@SebastianRoth You need to define the header with HTTP at the beginning, the rest in all caps, and use underscores instead of dashes. e.g @request.headers['HTTP_X_DEVICEID'] = 'foo' – CoolTapes Nov 17 '14 at 17:14
The difference for me was that I was trying `get :index, {param => value}, {header => value}` when in actual fact I wanted to set the request headers _first_, using `request[header] = value; get :index, param => value`. Thanks! – PJSCopeland Mar 09 '15 at 01:28
I could run it with `rspec-rails (3.4.0)` and `rails (4.2.5)` – hiropon Jan 04 '16 at 07:24

Billy Chan · Answer 2 · 2013-08-26T07:07:55.430

12

You can define it in get directly.

get :api_call, nil, {'HTTP_FOO'=>'BAR'}

I just verified it works in console.

edited Aug 26 '13 at 07:07

answered Aug 26 '13 at 07:01

Billy Chan

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Sorry - your answer came in just as I tested this as well. Please see the update. Thank you. – Sebastian Roth Aug 26 '13 at 07:04
3

Thanks again - I've tried this as well and it will not work for me. Have you successfully tested this in a RSpec Controller spec? – Sebastian Roth Aug 26 '13 at 07:09
I request with this header, and then I ask for `request.env`, this header appears. `get` is Rails's `ActionDispatch::Integration::RequestHelpers` method, not Rspec. I did not do it in Rspec but I'm 100% sure it will work the same. – Billy Chan Aug 26 '13 at 07:11
As said, I've added `@request.env['HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE'] = 'en'` as well - this works and the variable can be read using `request.env`. Seems like there is a filter going which I'm not aware of. – Sebastian Roth Aug 26 '13 at 07:17
1

I think @BillyChan is correct the problem is you should not read the header from `request.env` but from `request.headers` http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionDispatch/Request.html#method-i-headers custom headers won't be included in `request.env` https://github.com/rails/rails/blob/bdf1a2e7b9096889321f7653a0ccca628a089e2f/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/http/request.rb#L28-L43 – j03w Sep 07 '13 at 02:53
@BillyChan would you be able to test it in RSpec? – Sebastian Roth Aug 19 '14 at 05:52
for me, with Rails 4.2.0, it works without the "nil": get :api_call, {'HTTP_FOO'=>'BAR'} – Frédéric Mascaro Apr 10 '15 at 07:20
this is exactly what i'm trying to do ... I can specify certain headers ('Authorization: token token=...') but not others (my custom 'Session_Token' header). – max pleaner Nov 05 '15 at 01:50

Kelsey Hannan · Answer 3 · 2018-05-18T04:30:42.600

7

RSpec request specs changed in Rails 5 so that custom headers and params must now be defined using key-value hash arguments. E.g.:

Before in Rails 4:

it "creates a Widget and redirects to the Widget's page" do
  headers = { "CONTENT_TYPE" => "application/json" }
  post "/widgets", '{ "widget": { "name":"My Widget" } }', headers
  expect(response).to redirect_to(assigns(:widget))
end

Now for Rails 5:

it "creates a Widget and redirects to the Widget's page" do
  headers = { "CONTENT_TYPE" => "application/json" }
  post "/widgets", :params => '{ "widget": { "name":"My Widget" } }', :headers => headers
  expect(response).to redirect_to(assigns(:widget))
end

edited May 18 '18 at 04:30

answered Dec 22 '17 at 22:42

Kelsey Hannan

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My result - this just adds a "headers" section into params. The headers the server receives are always {"HTTPS"=>"off", "HTTP_HOST"=>"example.org", "HTTP_COOKIE"=>""} - and where those are defined, or how to alter them, is unknown. – JosephK Aug 16 '19 at 06:11

Sending custom headers through RSpec

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