NoMethodError:undefined method `symbolize_keys' in rspec test

Question

Here is the error for update in rspec:

  4) CustomersController GET customer page 'update' should be successful
     Failure/Error: post 'update', customer
     NoMethodError:
       undefined method `symbolize_keys' for "1":String
     # ./spec/controllers/customers_controller_spec.rb:38:in `block (3 levels) in <top (required)>'

The rspec code:

it "'update' should be successful" do

  customer = Factory(:customer)      
  post 'update', customer
  response.should be_success
end

The update in customers controller:

  def update
    @customer = Customer.find(params[:id])
    if @customer.update_attributes(params[:customer], :as => :roles_new_update)
      if @customer.changed
        @message = 'The following info have been changed\n' + @customer.changes.to_s
        @subject ='Customer info was changed BY' + session[:user_name]
        notify_all_in_sales_eng(@message,@subject)
      end  

      redirect_to session[('page'+session[:page_step].to_s).to_sym], :notice => 'Customer was updated successfaully!'
    else
      render 'edit', :notice => 'Customer was not updated!'
    end
  end

Any thoughts about the error? Thanks.

Answer 1

I will not enter into details on RSpec, but I just met the same error and this is how I would correct it for your code:

it "'update' should be successful" do
  customer = Factory(:customer)      
  post 'update', :id => customer.id
  response.should be_success
end

I think you can't provide your object directly to the post method, you must pass it's id as in a Hash instead.

(Please note too that this code assumes your customer exists in the test database, so your Factory must create it.)