How can I call controller/view helper methods from the console in Ruby on Rails?
An easy way to call a controller action from a script/console and view/manipulate the response object is:
> app.get '/posts/1'
> response = app.response
# You now have a Ruby on Rails response object much like the integration tests
> response.body # Get you the HTML
> response.cookies # Hash of the cookies
# etc., etc.
The app object is an instance of ActionController::Integration::Session
This works for me using Ruby on Rails 2.1 and 2.3, and I did not try earlier versions.
If you need to test from the console (tested on Ruby on Rails 3.1 and 4.1):
Call Controller Actions:
app.get '/'
app.response
app.response.headers # => { "Content-Type"=>"text/html", ... }
app.response.body # => "<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n\n<head>\n..."
ApplicationController methods:
foo = ActionController::Base::ApplicationController.new
foo.public_methods(true||false).sort
foo.some_method
Route Helpers:
app.myresource_path # => "/myresource"
app.myresource_url # => "http://www.example.com/myresource"
View Helpers:
foo = ActionView::Base.new
foo.javascript_include_tag 'myscript' #=> "<script src=\"/javascripts/myscript.js\"></script>"
helper.link_to "foo", "bar" #=> "<a href=\"bar\">foo</a>"
ActionController::Base.helpers.image_tag('logo.png') #=> "<img alt=\"Logo\" src=\"/images/logo.png\" />"
Render:
views = Rails::Application::Configuration.new(Rails.root).paths["app/views"]
views_helper = ActionView::Base.new views
views_helper.render 'myview/mytemplate'
views_helper.render file: 'myview/_mypartial', locals: {my_var: "display:block;"}
views_helper.assets_prefix #=> '/assets'
ActiveSupport methods:
require 'active_support/all'
1.week.ago
=> 2013-08-31 10:07:26 -0300
a = {'a'=>123}
a.symbolize_keys
=> {:a=>123}
Lib modules:
> require 'my_utils'
=> true
> include MyUtils
=> Object
> MyUtils.say "hi"
evaluate: hi
=> true
To call helpers, use the helper object:
$ ./script/console
>> helper.number_to_currency('123.45')
=> "R$ 123,45"
If you want to use a helper that's not included by default (say, because you removed helper :all from ApplicationController), just include the helper.
>> include BogusHelper
>> helper.bogus
=> "bogus output"
As for dealing with controllers, I quote Nick's answer:
> app.get '/posts/1' > response = app.response # you now have a rails response object much like the integration tests > response.body # get you the HTML > response.cookies # hash of the cookies # etc, etc
Here's one way to do this through the console:
>> foo = ActionView::Base.new
=> #<ActionView::Base:0x2aaab0ac2af8 @assigns_added=nil, @assigns={}, @helpers=#<ActionView::Base::ProxyModule:0x2aaab0ac2a58>, @controller=nil, @view_paths=[]>
>> foo.extend YourHelperModule
=> #<ActionView::Base:0x2aaab0ac2af8 @assigns_added=nil, @assigns={}, @helpers=#<ActionView::Base::ProxyModule:0x2aaab0ac2a58>, @controller=nil, @view_paths=[]>
>> foo.your_helper_method(args)
=> "<html>created by your helper</html>"
Creating a new instance of ActionView::Base gives you access to the normal view methods that your helper likely uses. Then extending YourHelperModule mixes its methods into your object letting you view their return values.