Add the ability to set up variables on the describe block

[Risto-Stevcev]

If you have some state you want to test in multiple it blocks, instead of having to instantiate it multiple times, it would be nice to be able to do it once in the describe block for those specs. Ie:

describe "some state" do
  someRef <- readSTRef myRef
  someArray <- freeze mySTArray

  it "should have this property" do
    ...

  it "should have that property" do
    ...

[owickstrom]

Could this be a variant of #43, if we separate beforeEach/before, and afterEach/after?

[Risto-Stevcev]

I guess it depends on how it's implemented. If before and after look similar to it, then the variables wouldn't be in scope to use it in this way

[owickstrom]

Yes. I'd like for before and after to make it blocks be functions instead. For every before/each you nest, the it blocks get a new argument:

describe "some state" $ before readRef $ before readArray $ do

  it "should have this property" $ \ref array -> do
    ...

  it "should have that property" $ \ref array -> do
    ...

Not sure the current design makes that very simple to implement, but I think it would be very nice to have. :)

[felixSchl]

To me, hspec's hooks API looks like a good idea to mirror to achieve this: https://hackage.haskell.org/package/hspec-2.4.3/docs/Test-Hspec.html#t:ActionWith.

I don't think it would be terribly hard to make this happen. I wish I had the time to tinker with this, looks like a fun task

[owickstrom]

@felixSchl Thanks, will have a look at it.

I hope I can find some time, too. It does not look very bright in the coming week. :/

[owickstrom]

Still, I have no time to work on this. Anyone who wants to give it a shot?