CakePHP: problem with fixtures, test vs. live data

**fattyjules** · Sep 17, 2009 21:09

I worry that this question is a little specific for this forum, but I'm desperate, so here goes...

I have a problem with a CakePHP unit test retrieving REAL data, where I need
to use fixture data. I'll explain by way of example.

- Model Widgets has a method abc().

- Widget->abc() retrieves data from its own model, but also queries data from another model, Shapes. The 2 models are NOT joined by any table relationships. The Shapes model is invoked by calling App::import('Model','Shapes').

- Fixtures exist for both the Widget and Shape models. Both fixtures are included at the top of the Widget test case class.

- When I run unit tests on Widget->abc(), it dutifully retrieves data from the test_suite_widgets table created by the fixture. However, when Widget->abc() retrieves data from the Shapes model, that data comes from the LIVE database. I know this because I can see all of the SQL queries being executed.

I hope this all makes sense. Any ideas?

**auricle** · Sep 19, 2009 03:46

Originally Posted by fattyjules

The Shapes model is invoked by calling App::import('Model','Shapes')

Is there a way of injecting the class name so you can use a mock of Shapes? Something like...

PHP Code:


//outside the method

$shapes_class = 'MockShapes';



//inside the method being tested

App::import('Model', $shapes_class)

**fattyjules** · Sep 20, 2009 05:20

Thanks auricle. I didn't really understand your suggestion, but it got me thinking. I tried a few things, and came up with a solution that worked. I hope someone else finds this useful.

I put the following code in Widget::abc();

Code:

        
App::import('Model','Shape');
$this->Shape= new Shape();

if($this->useDbConfig=='test_suite') {
     $this->Place->useDbConfig = 'test_suite';
     $this->Place->tablePrefix = 'test_suite_';
}

It's not an elegant solution - you have to put code into model to explicitly deal with test cases - but it works.