RSpec let method not generating variable

Question

I'm trying to create a test for my bill_total helper method. The let method isn't generating the bill1 and bill2 variable.

describe BillsHelper do
  let(:bill1) { Bill.create(name: 'Bill 1', amount: 1.00) }
  let(:bill2) { Bill.create(name: 'Bill 2', amount: 1.00) }

  describe "#bill_total" do
    bill1.amount = 1.00
    bill2.amount = 1.00

    expect(bills_helper.bill_total).to eq(2.00)
  end
end

Error:

    /Users/adrianleeelder/Documents/Developer_Resources/sites/bills_app/spec/helpers/bills_helper_spec.rb:18:in `block (2 levels) in <top (required)>': undefined local variable or method `bill1' for #<Class:0x007fb3c121b548> (NameError)
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:242:in `module_eval'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:242:in `subclass'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:228:in `describe'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/Documents/Developer_Resources/sites/bills_app/spec/helpers/bills_helper_spec.rb:17:in `block in <top (required)>'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:242:in `module_eval'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:242:in `subclass'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:228:in `describe'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/dsl.rb:18:in `describe'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/Documents/Developer_Resources/sites/bills_app/spec/helpers/bills_helper_spec.rb:13:in `<top (required)>'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb:819:in `load'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb:819:in `block in load_spec_files'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb:819:in `each'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb:819:in `load_spec_files'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/command_line.rb:22:in `run'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/runner.rb:80:in `run'
    from /Users/adrianleeelder/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/rspec-core-2.13.1/lib/rspec/core/runner.rb:17:in `block in autorun'
[Finished in 2.4s with exit code 1]

Answer 1

The names defined in let statements are only available within before and it blocks, not within the outer level of the describe blocks. If you replace your inner describe with it, the names will be accessible. Also, the names are not actually variables, but helper methods.

Answer 2

You need to write your examples inside it blocks, not describe blocks:

it "#bill_total" do
  bill1.amount = 1.00
  bill2.amount = 1.00

  expect(bills_helper.bill_total).to eq(2.00)
end