Unit test filter with a mocked service - unit-testing

Question

I'm using Grails 2.3.8 and trying to create a unit test for a filter that uses a service.
The filter:
class LicenseFilters {
def licenseService
def filters = {
all(controller:'*', action:'*') {
before = {
if(!licenseService.checkLicense()){
redirect(controller:"licenseExpired")
return false
}
}
}
}
}
The spec, first attempt:
#TestFor(ExecutionTraceController)
#Mock(LicenseFilters)
class LicenseFiltersSpec extends Specification{
void "Test filter redirects when license is wrong"() {
given:
LicenseFilters bean=applicationContext.getBean("com.nortia.sgmentia.license.LicenseFilters")
bean.licenseService=this.buildLicenseServiceStub(false)
when:
withFilters(action:"list") {
controller.list()
}
then:
response.redirectedUrl == '/licenseExpired'
}
private LicenseService buildLicenseServiceStub(boolean ok){
LicenseService result=Stub(LicenseService)
result.checkLicense() >> ok
return result
}
}
But it turns out (by debugging) that the bean that I grab from the context it is NOT the same one that receives the request thus I still get a NPE.
In a second attempt I try using defineBeans:
void "Test filter redirects when license is wrong"() {
given:
defineBeans {
licenseService(MethodInvokingFactoryBean){
targetObject = this
targetMethod= "buildLicenseServiceStub"
arguments=[false]
}
}
when:
withFilters(action:"list") {
controller.list()
}
then:
response.redirectedUrl == '/licenseExpired'
}
But the mocked bean is neither bean instanciated nor inyected.
Should I try to inyect the service manually into the filter??
There was this issue https://jira.grails.org/browse/GRAILS-8976 but it is closed.

Answer 1

I came across a similar situation and was able to fix it by adding the service to the #Mock annotation, i.e. #Mock([LicenseFilters, LicenseService]).
In your case the spec would look something like the following:
#TestFor(ExecutionTraceController)
#Mock([LicenseFilters, LicenseService])
class LicenseFiltersSpec extends Specification {
void "Test filter redirects when license is wrong"() {
given:
defineBeans {
licenseService(MethodInvokingFactoryBean) {
targetObject = this
targetMethod = "buildLicenseServiceStub"
arguments = [false]
}
}
when:
withFilters(action: "list") {
controller.list()
}
then:
response.redirectedUrl == '/licenseExpired'
}
private LicenseService buildLicenseServiceStub(boolean ok) {
LicenseService result = Stub(LicenseService)
result.checkLicense() >> ok
return result
}
}
Note: that mocking the service in this manner will, by default, inject an instance of the actual LicenseService into your filter. So, if the above defineBeans block is removed the actual implementation of LicenseService.checkLicense() will be called.

Answer 2

I finally found a workaround to make it work going with the second approach (using defineBeans).
The service is not being autowired into the filter so I finally did it manually with a pseudo-singleton:
class LicenseFilters {
def licenseService
def filters = {
all(controller:'*', action:'*') {
before = {
if(!this.licenseService){
this.licenseService=applicationContext.getBean("licenseService")
}
if(!this.licenseService.checkLicense()){
redirect(controller:"licenseExpired")
return false
}
}
}
}
}
Quite ugly but a solution at least.
Hope it helps someone out there.