Testing and Debugging

Overview

The gitlab-discussions project uses a combination of automated tests and manual testing to ensure code quality. This section outlines the testing tools and debugging techniques used.

Testing

Framework

The gitlab-discussions project uses the RSpec framework for unit and integration testing. RSpec provides a flexible and expressive syntax for describing tests.

Test Structure

Tests are organized into folders within the spec directory.

• Unit tests: These tests focus on individual classes and methods, ensuring they function as expected in isolation.
• Integration tests: These tests verify the interaction between multiple components or services, simulating real-world scenarios.

Running Tests

To run all tests:

bundle exec rspec
          

To run specific tests:

bundle exec rspec spec/models/discussion_spec.rb
          

Test Coverage

The project uses SimpleCov to measure test coverage. To generate a coverage report:

bundle exec rspec --format documentation --coverage
          

The coverage report will be generated in the coverage directory.

Debugging

Debugging Tools

The following debugging tools are recommended for use with gitlab-discussions:

• Pry: Pry is a powerful REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) that provides advanced debugging features like stepping through code, inspecting variables, and executing arbitrary Ruby code.

• byebug: byebug is a debugger that provides a command-line interface for stepping through code, inspecting variables, and setting breakpoints.

Example Debugging Scenario

Let’s say you want to understand the behavior of the create_discussion method in the Discussion model. You can set a breakpoint in the method using byebug like this:

# In the `discussion.rb` file
          def create_discussion(attributes)
            byebug
            # ... rest of the method
          end
          

Then run the test or code that triggers this method. The execution will pause at the breakpoint, and you can use byebug commands to inspect the code and variables.

Debugging Tips

• Use logging statements to track the flow of execution and the values of variables.
• Leverage the debugger to step through code and inspect the state of objects.
• Review the error messages carefully to identify the root cause of the issue.