rspec running with development database as opposed to test database - ruby-on-rails-4

Question

When I run my rspec test, I noticed that the test is using my development database as opposed to using the one for test environment.
My spec_helper.rb file is as follow:
# This file was generated by the `rails generate rspec:install` command. Conventionally, all
# specs live under a `spec` directory, which RSpec adds to the `$LOAD_PATH`.
# The generated `.rspec` file contains `--require spec_helper` which will cause this
# file to always be loaded, without a need to explicitly require it in any files.
#
# Given that it is always loaded, you are encouraged to keep this file as
# light-weight as possible. Requiring heavyweight dependencies from this file
# will add to the boot time of your test suite on EVERY test run, even for an
# individual file that may not need all of that loaded. Instead, consider making
# a separate helper file that requires the additional dependencies and performs
# the additional setup, and require it from the spec files that actually need it.
# require 'webmock/rspec'
# WebMock.disable_net_connect!(allow_localhost: true)
#
# The `.rspec` file also contains a few flags that are not defaults but that
# users commonly want.
#
# See http://rubydoc.info/gems/rspec-core/RSpec/Core/Configuration
require 'rubygems'
# require 'test/unit'
require 'redis'
ENV['RAILS_ENV'] = 'test'
require File.expand_path("../../config/environment", __FILE__)
require 'factory_girl_rails'
# Capybara.register_driver :selenium do |app|
# Capybara::Selenium::Driver.new(app, :browser => :chrome)
# end
RSpec.configure do |config|
# rspec-expectations config goes here. You can use an alternate
# assertion/expectation library such as wrong or the stdlib/minitest
# assertions if you prefer.
config.expect_with :rspec do |expectations|
# This option will default to `true` in RSpec 4. It makes the `description`
# and `failure_message` of custom matchers include text for helper methods
# defined using `chain`, e.g.:
# be_bigger_than(2).and_smaller_than(4).description
# # => "be bigger than 2 and smaller than 4"
# ...rather than:
# # => "be bigger than 2"
expectations.include_chain_clauses_in_custom_matcher_descriptions = true
end
# rspec-mocks config goes here. You can use an alternate test double
# library (such as bogus or mocha) by changing the `mock_with` option here.
config.mock_with :rspec do |mocks|
# Prevents you from mocking or stubbing a method that does not exist on
# a real object. This is generally recommended, and will default to
# `true` in RSpec 4.
mocks.verify_partial_doubles = true
end
config.mock_with :rspec
config.before(:all) do
ActiveRecord::Base.skip_callbacks = true
end
config.after(:all) do
ActiveRecord::Base.skip_callbacks = false
end
end
And the rails_helper.rb file is as follow:
# This file is copied to spec/ when you run 'rails generate rspec:install'
require 'spec_helper'
require File.expand_path("../../config/environment", __FILE__)
require 'rspec/rails'
require 'database_cleaner'
# Add additional requires below this line. Rails is not loaded until this point!
# Requires supporting ruby files with custom matchers and macros, etc, in
# spec/support/ and its subdirectories. Files matching `spec/**/*_spec.rb` are
# run as spec files by default. This means that files in spec/support that end
# in _spec.rb will both be required and run as specs, causing the specs to be
# run twice. It is recommended that you do not name files matching this glob to
# end with _spec.rb. You can configure this pattern with the --pattern
# option on the command line or in ~/.rspec, .rspec or `.rspec-local`.
#
# The following line is provided for convenience purposes. It has the downside
# of increasing the boot-up time by auto-requiring all files in the support
# directory. Alternatively, in the individual `*_spec.rb` files, manually
# require only the support files necessary.
#
Dir[Rails.root.join("spec/support/**/*.rb")].each { |f| require f }
# Checks for pending migrations before tests are run.
# If you are not using ActiveRecord, you can remove this line.
ActiveRecord::Migration.maintain_test_schema!
RSpec.configure do |config|
# Remove this line if you're not using ActiveRecord or ActiveRecord fixtures
config.fixture_path = "#{::Rails.root}/spec/fixtures"
# If you're not using ActiveRecord, or you'd prefer not to run each of your
# examples within a transaction, remove the following line or assign false
# instead of true.
config.use_transactional_fixtures = false
# RSpec Rails can automatically mix in different behaviours to your tests
# based on their file location, for example enabling you to call `get` and
# `post` in specs under `spec/controllers`.
#
# You can disable this behaviour by removing the line below, and instead
# explicitly tag your specs with their type, e.g.:
#
# RSpec.describe UsersController, :type => :controller do
# # ...
# end
#
# The different available types are documented in the features, such as in
# https://relishapp.com/rspec/rspec-rails/docs
config.infer_spec_type_from_file_location!
end
BTW: if it is any help, I just finished solving an issue with database_cleaner wiping my development db according to this post.
How can I restrict the test to run only in test environment, and using only the test database?
All help is welcome, thank you.
My database.yml is as follow:
# PostgreSQL. Versions 8.2 and up are supported.
#
# Install the pg driver:
# gem install pg
# On OS X with Homebrew:
# gem install pg -- --with-pg-config=/usr/local/bin/pg_config
# On OS X with MacPorts:
# gem install pg -- --with-pg-config=/opt/local/lib/postgresql84/bin/pg_config
# On Windows:
# gem install pg
# Choose the win32 build.
# Install PostgreSQL and put its /bin directory on your path.
#
# Configure Using Gemfile
# gem 'pg'
#
default: &default
adapter: postgresql
encoding: unicode
# For details on connection pooling, see rails configuration guide
# http://guides.rubyonrails.org/configuring.html#database-pooling
pool: 5
development:
<<: *default
database: directory-service_development
# The specified database role being used to connect to postgres.
# To create additional roles in postgres see `$ createuser --help`.
# When left blank, postgres will use the default role. This is
# the same name as the operating system user that initialized the database.
#username: directory-service
# The password associated with the postgres role (username).
#password:
# Connect on a TCP socket. Omitted by default since the client uses a
# domain socket that doesn't need configuration. Windows does not have
# domain sockets, so uncomment these lines.
#host: localhost
# The TCP port the server listens on. Defaults to 5432.
# If your server runs on a different port number, change accordingly.
#port: 5432
# Schema search path. The server defaults to $user,public
#schema_search_path: myapp,sharedapp,public
# Minimum log levels, in increasing order:
# debug5, debug4, debug3, debug2, debug1,
# log, notice, warning, error, fatal, and panic
# Defaults to warning.
#min_messages: notice
# Warning: The database defined as "test" will be erased and
# re-generated from your development database when you run "rake".
# Do not set this db to the same as development or production.
test:
<<: *default
database: directory-service_test
# As with config/secrets.yml, you never want to store sensitive information,
# like your database password, in your source code. If your source code is
# ever seen by anyone, they now have access to your database.
#
# Instead, provide the password as a unix environment variable when you boot
# the app. Read http://guides.rubyonrails.org/configuring.html#configuring-a-database
# for a full rundown on how to provide these environment variables in a
# production deployment.
#
# On Heroku and other platform providers, you may have a full connection URL
# available as an environment variable. For example:
#
# DATABASE_URL="postgres://myuser:mypass#localhost/somedatabase"
#
# You can use this database configuration with:
#
# production:
# url: <%= ENV['DATABASE_URL'] %>
#
production:
<<: *default
database: directory-service_production
username: directory-service
password: <%= ENV['DIRECTORY-SERVICE_DATABASE_PASSWORD'] %>

Answer 1

On puts ENV["RAILS_ENV"], it shows that my test was running straight on test environment.
But the local foreman server that was running was getting data from the development environment.
By manually specifying that the server should run on test environment, the test also uses data from the test environment.
Big thanks to #AndyWaite.

Answer 2

What worked for me is the following:
Stop foreman (or your server running in development)
bin/rails db:migrate RAILS_ENV=test (optional)
bin/rails db:environment:set RAILS_ENV=test (set env explicitly)
rails server -e test (in another window)
rspec ___ (start testing)