README.md

Built-in Matchers

Here is a list of matchers that ship with rspec-expectations. Each matcher can be used with should or should_not e.g.

result.should eq(3)
list.should_not be_empty

Object identity

actual.should be(expected) # passes if actual.equal?(expected)

Object equivalence

actual.should eq(expected) # passes if actual == expected

Optional APIs for identity/equivalence

actual.should == expected     # passes if actual == expected
actual.should eql(expected)   # passes if actual.eql?(expected)
actual.should equal(expected) # passes if actual.equal?(expected)

# NOTE: this can't work in Ruby 1.8, so we don't support it at all:
#   actual.should != expected
# The reason is that Ruby 1.8 parses it as:
#   !(actual.should.==(expected)),
# so by the time RSpec sees it it has no way to know that it's
# been negated. Use either of these instead:
#   actual.should_not eq(expected)
#   actual.should_not == expected

Comparisons

actual.should be >  expected
actual.should be >= expected
actual.should be <= expected
actual.should be <  expected
actual.should =~ /expression/
actual.should match(/expression/)
actual.should be_within(delta).of(expected)

Types/classes

actual.should be_instance_of(expected)
actual.should be_kind_of(expected)

Truthiness and existentialism

actual.should be_true  # passes if actual is truthy (not nil or false)
actual.should be_false # passes if actual is falsy (nil or false)
actual.should be_nil   # passes if actual is nil
actual.should be       # passes if actual is truthy (not nil or false)

Expecting errors

expect { ... }.to raise_error
expect { ... }.to raise_error(ErrorClass)
expect { ... }.to raise_error("message")
expect { ... }.to raise_error(ErrorClass, "message")

Expecting throws

expect { ... }.to throw_symbol
expect { ... }.to throw_symbol(:symbol)
expect { ... }.to throw_symbol(:symbol, 'value')

Predicate matchers

actual.should be_xxx         # passes if actual.xxx?
actual.should have_xxx(:arg) # passes if actual.has_xxx?(:arg)

Examples

[].should be_empty # passes because [].empty? returns true
{ :a => 1 }.should have_key(:a) # passes because the hash has the key :a

Collection membership

actual.should include(expected)

Examples

[1,2,3].should include(1)
[1,2,3].should include(1, 2)
{:a => 'b'}.should include(:a => 'b')
"this string".should include("is str")

Ranges (1.9 only)

(1..10).should cover(3)