Why is spec_helper having this ENV["RAILS_ENV"] ||= "test"?

Question

Would anyone want to make use of spec_helper in other environments than test, or why is it configured like that? To allow custom test environments?

Answer 1

An environment can have any possible name. You can use multiple test environments or even give your test environment another name than simply test. Because it's convention to name your test environment test doesn't mean you can't choose to name it differently.