[Catalyst] Testing controller which require login.

[Matt S Trout]

On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 10:07:49PM -0700, Louis Erickson wrote:
> 
> I've been neglecting my test scripts, and I'm finally getting to that 
> before my app gets any bigger.  I want to make sure I don't break anything 
> that's working, and that it works as well as I think it does.
> 
> I'm probably going to have several questions in the next few days about 
> tests.  I think I've got a lot of the basics working; tests pass, I have a 
> sensible test database and environment.  I can see fixtures from here, I 
> think.
> 
> I haven't been able to get a test user logging in and out yet, though.
> 
> I have several sections of my application that redirect the user away if
> they are not logged in.  I have another that returns a 404 if they don't
> have access, so prying users can't find it (as easily).
> 
> My tests are currently based on the stubs generated by myapp_create,
> and use Catalyst::Test.  I could move them to WWW::Mechanize::Catalyst if 
> it would help.
> 
> I can't tell if Catalyst::Test supports cookies.  Does it?  Or do I need 
> to use WWW::Mechanize::Catalyst for that?
> 
> I've read some suggestions on how to go about this, and found a couple.
> 
> 1> Use WWW::Mechanize::Catalyst to log the user in
> 2> Use the mock user in config to set a user who is logged in.
> 
> The problem with really logging the user in is that the login is a set of 
> site-wide cookies generated by a Single Sign On system.  That system may 
> or may not have a test instance running.  If it does, cookies stored from 
> it probably won't work with cookies from 'localhost' like the local test
> app wants.

I think what you want is Test::WWW::Mechanize::Catalyst and to mock the
single sign on stuff.

After all, you're not trying to test -it-, you're trying to test your
application, right?

-- 
        Matt S Trout         Catalyst and DBIx::Class consultancy with a clue
     Technical Director      and a commit bit: http://shadowcat.co.uk/catalyst/
 Shadowcat Systems Limited
  mst (@) shadowcat.co.uk        http://shadowcat.co.uk/blog/matt-s-trout/