Using spock data table for filling objects

Question

I am using Spock for the first time. Since we are using a complex domain-model it would be handy to have a mechanism, which allows me to create full objects from data given by spock tables. I do not want to give all values each time, I just want to set the values in defined in datable. So there should be defined default values somewhere.

Yes, I know I could write on my own, but maybe there is an out-of-the-box solution.

Example

class A {
   String name
   int age
}

spock table

id | givenA                     | ...
1  | [name: "Michael"]          | ...
2  | [name: "Thomas", age: 45 ] | ...

1. => A.name = "Michael", A.age = defined default somewhere
2. => A.name = "Thomas" A.age = 45 (because I overwrite default value)

Answer 1

In every project I have, I create what I call 'UnitTestUtils' and this class mostly contains helper methods that create domain objects with default values and allow for overrides of those values. For example:

    Person createTestPerson(Map overrides = [:]){
        Person p = new Person(name: "Jim Bob", age: 45)
        overrides.each { String key, value ->
            if(p.hasProperty(key)){
                p.setProperty(key, value)
            } else {
                println "Error: Trying to add property that doesn't exist"
            }
        }
        return p
    }

Then you can make use of this method in your class by creating a map in the same way you've already done.

    void "my test"(){
        given:
            Person person
        when:
            person = UnitTestUtils.createTestPerson(givenA)
        then:
            person.name == expected.name
            person.age == expected.age
        where:
          id| givenA        | expected
          1 | [name: "Joe"] | [name: "Joe", age: 45]
          2 | [age: 5]      | [name: "Jim Bob", age: 5]
    }

It's not a built in Spock feature, but it should provide nicely for the use case you have specified.