Testing Rails controllers with RSpec–How to test: current_account.projects

Question

I'm using Rspec and Rails 3 for testing. I've tested my models and helpers but I'm lost on how to begin testing controllers. Almost all of my data in my controller actions is pulled using something like these examples:

@services = current_account.services

@projects = current_person.projects

@projects = current_account.projects.active 
# this is really @projects = current_person.account.projects.active)

I can't seem to find any examples of how to test data that's pulled this way. All of the examples I've found aren't scoped to an account or person. Can anyone point me to an article on how to mock or stub this type of arrangement? Is this a sign that this entire approach isn't correct? Below, I've included an entire sample controller.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, David

class ServicesController < ApplicationController
  # Run authorizations
  filter_resource_access

  # Respond to ...
  respond_to :html, :xml, :json
  respond_to :js,   :only => [:new, :create, :edit, :update, :destroy]

  # GET /services
  # GET /services.xml
  def index
    @services = current_account.services.order("name").paginate(:page => params[:page])

    respond_with(@services)
  end

  # GET /services/1
  # GET /services/1.xml
  def show
    @service = current_account.services.find(params[:id])

    respond_with(@service)
  end

  # GET /services/new
  # GET /services/new.xml
  def new
    @service = current_account.services.new

    respond_with(@service)
  end

  # GET /services/1/edit
  def edit
    @service = current_account.services.find(params[:id])

    respond_with(@service)
  end

  # POST /services
  # POST /services.xml
  def create
    @service = current_account.services.new(params[:service])

    if @service.save
      # flash[:notice] = 'A service was successfully created.'
    end

    respond_with(@service, :location => services_url)
  end

  # PUT /services/1
  # PUT /services/1.xml
  def update
    @service = current_account.services.find(params[:id])

    if @service.update_attributes(params[:service])
      # flash[:notice] = 'The service was successfully updated.'
    end

    respond_with(@service, :location => services_url)
  end

  # DELETE /services/1
  # DELETE /services/1.xml
  def destroy
    @service = current_account.services.find(params[:id])

    if @service.destroy
      flash[:notice]  = "The service was successfully deleted."
    else
      flash[:warning] = @service.errors.full_messages.inject("") { |acc, message| acc += message  }
    end

    respond_with(@service)
  end
end

–––––– UPDATE

Thanks to Xaid's solution I was able to get a solution:

  context "logged_in" do
    before(:each) do
      @current_account = Factory.create(:account)
      controller.stub!(:current_account).and_return(@current_account)

      @services = FactoryGirl.create_list(:service, 10, :account => @current_account)
      @services << @current_account.services.first
      @current_account.services.stub!(:all).and_return(@services)
    end


    # INDEX
    describe "GET services" do
      before(:each) do
        get :index
      end

      it "should set @services when accessing GET /index" do
        assigns[:services].should == @services
      end

      it "should respond with success" do
        response.should be_success
      end
    end
  end

Answer 1

Can't you use something like this to test your 'index' action

describe "GET 'index'" do
  before(:each) do
    @user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
    controller.stub!(:current_user).and_return(@user)
    @services = FactoryGirl.create_list(:service, 10, :user => @user)
    @user.services.stub!(:all).and_return(@services)
  end

  it "should return a list of services" do
    get :index
    assigns(:services).should == @services
  end
end

If I understood your question correctly, you should be able to stub current_user.services(or projects) and make it return some known value (generated by FactoryGirl in my example) and check that against the value thats stored in your action (for example, @services in your 'index' action).