VCR records each request only once, so replaying repeated identical calls can fail unless allow_playback_repeats is enabled.

Checking for an ActiveRecord scope with is_a?(ActiveRecord::NamedScope::Scope) breaks in Rails 3 and misses unscoped model classes. respond_to?(:scoped) is a broader check.

rspec_candy packages reusable RSpec helpers as a gem, making setup and updates easier for specs that need shared test utilities.

Template-based examples reduce repetition in behavior-driven tests and make repetitive cases easier to maintain.

Shared RSpec examples can be rerun by --example substring match or example ID when rspec file:line cannot target them directly.

Fixes for flaky browser tests in Spreewald 0.9.4, including a resolved “I click on ...” step and broader Selenium retry handling.

DOM event handler exceptions are swallowed, so later listeners and dispatchEvent() continue running. Uncaught errors still reach the browser log and window error event.

Internet Explorer 9 can fail on large stylesheets because of hard parser limits: file count, selector count, and nested @import depth.

A too-large class is harder to understand, test, and change. Several refactoring approaches break it into smaller responsibilities.

Postman provides a graphical way to build and send HTTP requests, with collections, environments, history, and a cookie manager for API testing.

Send deployment notifications from Capistrano to Slack channels using slackistrano and incoming webhooks, with customizable message formatting.

Synthetic user events for typing, clicking, moving, and dragging provide realistic interaction handling for tests and automation.

document.activeElement returns the currently focused DOM element and is useful for checking focus state in JavaScript or Selenium tests.

Capybara matchers can be applied to standalone HTML fragments or strings, not only full pages, making fragment assertions easier in test suites.

Global Rails settings can live in YAML files with environment-specific overrides via config_for, avoiding constant collisions and supporting fetch or bang accessors.

Simple Git configuration for new developers: aliases, merge and rebase defaults, better diffs, and GitLab push shortcuts.

patiently helpers are now packaged as the patiently gem, with configurable retries and timeouts for feature and system specs.

When you roll custom URLs with hacks like routing-filter, you can put a spec like this into spec/routing/routing_spec.rb:

Custom RSpec matchers can stay local to one example group or selected groups, avoiding global helper pollution while reusing expectation logic.

Secure cookies are often required by audits even when a Rails app already uses HTTPS and HSTS. A middleware can add the Secure flag to server-set cookies automatically.

Automated security testing integrated into a BDD workflow reduces gaps between development and security review for teams shipping software continuously.

decided to go fixtureless with Shoulda + Factory Girl. All good, except one problem. Slow as fuck tests. So here’s fast_context as a solution for it. fast_context compiles all the ‘should’s within a context into a single test.

Project code is reviewed before staging to catch client rejections early and keep changes maintainable. Gatekeepers approve or reject merge requests and decide whether a review is needed.