return size of 0 if json ruby value is nil

[eluns]

An entry can be null such as [null], which is 1 entry. If a null is a value of an Array, then the array has 0 entry. However a null value returns a size of 1

def matches?(json)
ruby = parse_json(json, @path)
#when ruby = nil
#NoMethodError: undefined method `size' for nil:NilClass
# so @Actual = 1 when ruby is nil
@Actual = Enumerable === ruby ? ruby.size : 1
@Actual == @expected
end

[eluns]

This scenario failed from the master
Failing Scenarios:
cucumber features/equivalence.feature:262 # Scenario: Table format can fail equivalence

[laserlemon]

@eluns The features/equivalence.feature:262 test is expected to fails and actually asserts that it does.

I can't say that I agree with the presumption that null should be considered to have a size of zero. While I agree that if null were to have any size, it would be zero, I don't believe that the concept of size should apply to null at all.

Rather than evaluating null's size as zero, I would consider a change that includes a better failure message in the case that an enumerable is not encountered.

Thank you! I'll close this pull request in favor of a future request buttoning up the matcher's failure messaging.

[eluns]

Hi Steve,
Wow, thank you for the quick response back! I honestly thought my request would be sent off to never, never land. I do agree that null should not have a size, but if it were to have a size it would be zero. However currently, the def matches returns a "size" of 1 for null values. In the ternary, if the variable ruby is null, which is false therefore the ternary returns 1. With the logic that I think we agree on... wouldn't it be 0? I created a test in the size.feature that I think helps commute the possible bug. Deciding the expected behaviors of null values reminds me of pondering the philosophical question to be or not to be. Thank you again for your time!
Beth

[laserlemon]

I agree that this assertion should pass.

[eluns]

Hi Steve,
Ah, yes my logic doesn't follow my code. Null should not return either 0 or 1. In my pull request, I made unexpected null values return false. Please let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Beth

[laserlemon]

It might be more appropriate (and less surprising) to change this to something like:

ruby = parse_json(json, @path)
raise EnumerableExpected.new("Enumerable expected, got #{ruby.inspect}.") unless Enumerable === ruby
@actual = ruby.size
@actual == @expected

Of course, we'd have to define the error class, write tests, etc.

[eluns]

Hi Steve,
I created Raise error when checking a size of a json ruby value of nil #82 .
Thanks,
Beth