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RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests

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Kristoff's wroclove.rb 2025 lightning talk. Argues that RSpec is a big tool built specifically for specs — tests written for humans — and that specs are a subset of tests. Frames minitest as 'the Internet Explorer of Windows — download another browser to delete it', noting that on every new project he has worked on, RSpec gets installed to replace minitest. Mentions smaller alternatives like testbench and Joel Drapper's Quickdraw. Side-by-side examples from testbench (a plain Ruby test) and minitest in both test and spec modes illustrate the distinction. Closes with: to use RSpec correctly, leverage its DSL — custom matchers (e.g. asserting an operation returns a decorated object), higher-level helper DSLs that name intent ('stub a policy, stub a service'), and 'with every combination' helpers for combinatorial cases. Quotes an RSpec maintainer: RSpec is 'bare bones' out of the box — users have to expand it to use it correctly.

date
2025-03-14
type
lightning-talk
talk RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests
about
RSpec tool
Entire talk is about using RSpec correctly.
talk RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests
about
minitest tool
Contrasts RSpec with minitest, which supports both test and spec modes.
talk RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests
about
TestBench tool
Cited as a smaller test framework alternative to RSpec.
talk RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests
about
Quickdraw tool
Cited as a smaller test framework alternative built by Joel Drapper.
talk RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests
about
Specs vs Tests concept
Draws the core distinction between specs (for humans) and tests (for the computer).
talk RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests
about
Recommends custom matchers and DSLs to actually leverage RSpec.
authored
RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests talk
Kristoff presented the RSpec lightning talk.
talk RSpec Is For Specs Not Tests
presented_at
Lightning talk session at wroclove.rb 2025.

Provenance

Created in
wroclove.rb 2025 lightning talks 2026-04-18 08:03
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