Get Session in Rails Integration Test

From the results Google gives on this, it seems that about three people in the world are using integration tests in Rails, and two of them stopped programming in 2007.

My goal: to get at session data from within an integration test.

Bad news: I don’t know any way to do this without first calling a controller action from within your integration test.

Good news: I have example code on how to get at it after making a request.

def add_to_cart_integration_test
  s = open_session
  s.post url_for(:controller => 'shopping_cart', :action => :add_item, :item_id => 1)
  s.session.data # a populated session hash
  s.flash # your flash data
end

And there you have it. Here is a more detailed examples that may be of use, derived from working integration tests in our codebase:

open_session do |s|
	item_1 = FactoryHelper::ItemFactory.create_sellable_item
	add_item_to_cart(item_1, s)
	user = Factory(:activated_user, {:password => USER_PASSWORD})
	login_user(user, USER_PASSWORD, s)

	s.post url_for(:controller => 'offers', :action => :cart_summary)
	all_offers = s.assigns(:all_offers_by_booth)
	assert_equal all_offers.size, 1
	the_offer = all_offers.first

	# Trial 1:  Simulate dragging item out of cart
	s.post url_for(:controller => 'lootbins', :action => :remove_from_lootbin_draggable, :item => item_1.id)

	s.post url_for(:controller => 'offers', :action => :cart_summary)
	all_offers = s.assigns(:all_offers_by_booth)
	assert all_offers.empty?
	assert !Offer.exists?(the_offer)

	# Trial 2:  Simulate removing item from cart on cart page
	add_item_to_cart(item_1, s)
	s.post url_for(:controller => 'offers', :action => :cart_summary)
	all_offers = s.assigns(:all_offers_by_booth)
	assert_equal all_offers.size, 1
	the_offer = all_offers.first

	s.put url_for(:controller => 'offers', :action => :remove_from_offer, :item_id => item_1.id, :id => the_offer.id)
	s.post url_for(:controller => 'offers', :action => :cart_summary)
	all_offers = s.assigns(:all_offers_by_booth)
	assert all_offers.empty?
	assert !Offer.exists?(the_offer)
end

And here are the helpers involved:

def add_item_to_cart(item, os)
	items_in_bin = begin
		lootbin = Lootbin.new(os.session.data) # equivalent to ApplicationController#my_lootbin
		lootbin.offer_items.size
	rescue
		0
	end
	os.post url_for(:controller => 'lootbins', :action => :add_to_lootbin_draggable, :item => item[:id])
	lootbin = Lootbin.new(os.session.data) # equivalent to ApplicationController#my_lootbin
	assert lootbin
	assert lootbin.has_items?
	assert_equal lootbin.offer_items.size, items_in_bin+1
end

def login_user(user, password, integration_session)
	integration_session.https!
	integration_session.post url_for(:controller => 'sessions', :action => :create, :username => user.user_name, :password => password)
		
	assert_equal integration_session.session.data[:user_id], user.id
end