assert_select gives misleading message

This issue can be duplicated with Rails 2.3.5 and edge Rails:

2.3.5:

➜  code  rails -v
Rails 2.3.5
➜  code  rails assert_select
...
➜  code  cd assert_select 
➜  assert_select  script/generate controller foos
...
➜  assert_select  rake db:migrate
(in /Users/dtrasbo/code/assert_select)
➜  assert_select  rake test:functionals
(in /Users/dtrasbo/code/assert_select)
/Users/dtrasbo/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.8.7-p249/bin/ruby -I"lib:test" "/Users/dtrasbo/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.8.7-p249@global/gems/rake-0.8.7/lib/rake/rake_test_loader.rb" "test/functional/foos_controller_test.rb" 
Loaded suite /Users/dtrasbo/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.8.7-p249@global/gems/rake-0.8.7/lib/rake/rake_test_loader
Started
F
Finished in 0.042935 seconds.

  1) Failure:
test_assert_select(FoosControllerTest) [/test/functional/foos_controller_test.rb:7]:
Expected at least 7 elements matching "a", found 5.
<false> is not true.

1 tests, 1 assertions, 1 failures, 0 errors
rake aborted!
Command failed with status (1): [/Users/dtrasbo/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.8.7-p249...]

(See full trace by running task with --trace)

Edge:

➜  code  ruby rails/bin/rails assert_select --dev
...
➜  code  cd assert_select 
➜  assert_select  ruby ../rails/bin/rails g controller foos index
...
➜  assert_select  rake db:migrate
(in /Users/dtrasbo/code/assert_select)
➜  assert_select  rake test:functionals
(in /Users/dtrasbo/code/assert_select)
Loaded suite /Users/dtrasbo/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.8.7-p249@global/gems/rake-0.8.7/lib/rake/rake_test_loader
Started
F
Finished in 0.107355 seconds.

  1) Failure:
test_assert_select(FoosControllerTest) [/test/functional/foos_controller_test.rb:6]:
Expected at least 2 elements matching "a", found 1.
<false> is not true.

1 tests, 1 assertions, 1 failures, 0 errors
rake aborted!
Command failed with status (1): [/Users/dtrasbo/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.8.7-p249...]

(See full trace by running task with --trace)

Both:

require 'test_helper'

class FoosControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
  # Replace this with your real tests.
  test "assert_select" do
    get :index
    assert_select 'a', 7
  end
end

Patch welcome.

david, your outputs are confusing. did you really use the same tests for both of them?

rails 3:

    Expected at least 7 elements matching "a", found 5.

rails 3:

    Expected at least 2 elements matching "a", found 1.

In the explanation of the assert_select method we have:

  # === Equality Tests
  #
  # The equality test may be one of the following:
  # * <tt>true</tt> - Assertion is true if at least one element selected.
  # * <tt>false</tt> - Assertion is true if no element selected.
  # * <tt>String/Regexp</tt> - Assertion is true if the text value of at least
  #   one element matches the string or regular expression.
  # * <tt>Integer</tt> - Assertion is true if exactly that number of
  #   elements are selected.
  # * <tt>Range</tt> - Assertion is true if the number of selected
  #   elements fit the range.
  # If no equality test specified, the assertion is true if at least one
  # element selected

So, if we use an Integer like Jarl did I think the error message not correspond to the description of the behaviour of the method.

I'll work to fix this, What do you think?

I've attached a patch

Now, when use assert_select with false or Integer for the equality test the error message would be more accurate, for example:

Expected exactly 5 elements matching "a", found 8.

+1

Applies to master cleanly, all tests pass.

+1

Patch applies cleanly, well tested and all tests pass.