Merge pull request #31 from ajsharp/nil-objects

Breaking Change: Properly handle nil objects

lib/bldr/node.rb

@@ -94,12 +94,11 @@ def object(base = nil, &block)
           value = nil
         end
 
-        # Short circuit here if the object passed in pointed
-        # at a nil value. There's some debate about how this
-        # should behave by default -- should it build the keyspace,
-        # pointing a null value, or should it leave the key out.
-        # With this implementation, it leaves the keyspace out.
-        return nil if value.nil? and keyed_object?(base)
+        # handle nil objects
+        if value.nil? && keyed_object?(base)
+          merge_result!(key, nil)
+          return self
+        end
 
         node  = Node.new(value, opts.merge(:parent => self), &block)
         merge_result!(key, node.result)
@@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ def collection(items, &block)
       else
         @result = massage_value(vals)
       end
-        
+
       self
     end
 
@@ -246,7 +245,7 @@ def attribute(*args,&block)
     #   object :person => dude do
     #     template "path/to/template"
     #   end
-    # 
+    #
     # @example Using locals
     #   object :person => dude do
     #     template "path/to/template", :locals => {:foo => 'bar'}
@@ -285,7 +284,7 @@ def copy_instance_variables_from(object)
     def keyed_object?(obj)
       obj.respond_to?(:keys)
     end
-    
+
     def find_template(template)
       path = []
       path << views if views
@@ -312,6 +311,6 @@ def massage_value(val)
         val
       end
     end
-    
+
   end
 end

spec/unit/node_spec.rb

@@ -163,6 +163,19 @@ module Bldr
   end
 
   describe Node, "#object" do
+    it 'renders the object structure for a nil object' do
+      node = Node.new do
+        object :person => nil do
+          attributes :name
+        end
+        attribute(:foo) { "bar" }
+      end
+      node.result.should == {
+        person: nil,
+        foo: 'bar'
+      }
+    end
+
     it 'is passes block the block variable to the block' do
       denver = Person.new('John Denver')
       node = Node.new do
@@ -231,7 +244,6 @@ def wrap(&block)
         end
       end
 
-
       describe "#attributes" do
         describe "when an object key is passed a null value" do
           subject {
@@ -250,13 +262,14 @@ def wrap(&block)
             }.not_to raise_error(ArgumentError, ERROR_MESSAGES[:attributes_inferred_missing])
           end
 
-          its(:result) { should == {} }
+          its(:result) { should == {:person => nil} }
         end
 
         it "renders each argument against the inferred object" do
           node = wrap { attributes(:name, :age) }
           node.result.should == {:person => {:name => 'alex', :age => 25}}
         end
+
         it "renders nil attributes" do
           node = node_wrap do
             object :person => Person.new('alex') do
@@ -266,9 +279,7 @@ def wrap(&block)
 
           node.result.should == {:person => {:name => 'alex', :age => nil}}
         end
-
       end
-
     end
 
     describe "embedded objects" do