rails rspec before all vs before each

Question

contest_entry_spec.rb

    require 'spec_helper'      describe ContestEntry do        before(:all) do         @admission=Factory(:project_admission)         @project=Factory(:project_started, :project_type => @admission.project_type)         @creative=Factory(:approved_creative, :creative_category => @admission.creative_category)         @contest_entry=Factory(:contest_entry, :design_file_name => 'bla bla bla', :owner => @creative, :project => @project)       end        context 'non-specific tests' do         subject { @contest_entry }         it { should belong_to(:owner).class_name('User') }         it { should belong_to(:project) }         it { should have_many(:entry_comments) }          it { should validate_presence_of(:owner) }         it { should validate_presence_of(:project) }         it { should validate_presence_of(:entry_no) }         it { should validate_presence_of(:title) }        end end 

When I run these tests everything is okey but if I change before(:all) to before(:each) every test will be failed.I don't know why it happens?

This is the error

 Failure/Error: @contest_entry=Factory(:contest_entry, :design_file_name => 'bla bla bla', :owner => @creative, :project => @project)      ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid:        Validation Failed: User is not allowed for this type of project 

Answer 1

before(:all) runs the block one time before all of the examples are run.

before(:each) runs the block one time before each of your specs in the file

before(:all) sets the instance variables @admission, @project, @creative, @contest_entry one time before all of the it blocks are run.

However, :before(:each) resets the instance variables in the before block every time an it block is run.

Its a subtle distinction but important

again,

before(:all) #before block is run it { should belong_to(:owner).class_name('User') } it { should belong_to(:project) } it { should have_many(:entry_comments) }  it { should validate_presence_of(:owner) } it { should validate_presence_of(:project) } it { should validate_presence_of(:entry_no) } it { should validate_presence_of(:title) }  before(:each) # before block it { should belong_to(:owner).class_name('User') } # before block it { should belong_to(:project) } # before block it { should have_many(:entry_comments) } # before block  # before block it { should validate_presence_of(:owner) } # before block it { should validate_presence_of(:project) } # before block it { should validate_presence_of(:entry_no) } # before block it { should validate_presence_of(:title) }