Why does before_action :authorize fail with 'wrong number of arguments'?
pundit, rspec, rspec-rails, ruby-on-rails, ruby-on-rails-4
Solution
Pundit's `authorize` method is not intended to be called as a `before_action`. `before_action` calls a method with no arguments, and `authorize` takes a model object and an optional permission name. That's why you're getting the error you are.
You're not showing enough of the relevant code for me to see what you should do next, but I suggest getting Pundit to work in your controller action before pulling it out into a callback.
There is an example of the correct use of `authorize` here: https://github.com/elabs/pundit
Problem
I have set up Pundit together with Devise for authorization on my application. In one of my controllers, I have `before_action :authorize`. I then have the following test: ``` describe SomeController do before(:each) do login_user(FactoryGirl.create(:user, :user_type => :admin)) end describe "GET index" do it "it retrieves the index" do something = FactoryGirl.create(:Something) get :index assigns(:something).should eq([something]) end end end ``` I receive the error: ``` wrong number of arguments (0 for 1) ``` The login helper is fairly straight forward: ``` module ControllerMacros def login_user(user) if user.nil? user = FactoryGirl.create(:user) end @request.env["devise.mapping"] = Devise.mappings[:user] sign_in user end end ``` Update: Stacktrace: ``` Failure/Error: get :index ArgumentError: wrong number of arguments (0 for 1..2) # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/pundit-0.2.3/lib/pundit.rb:62:in `authorize' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:424:in `block in make_lambda' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:160:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:160:in `block in halting' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:149:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:149:in `block in halting_and_conditional' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:229:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:229:in `block in halting' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:149:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:149:in `block in halting_and_conditional' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `block in halting' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `block in halting' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `block in halting' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:86:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:86:in `run_callbacks' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:19:in `process_action' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/action_controller/metal/rescue.rb:29:in `process_action' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:31:in `block in process_action' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:159:in `block in instrument' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:20:in `instrument' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activesupport-4.1.1/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:159:in `instrument' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:30:in `process_action' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/action_controller/metal/params_wrapper.rb:250:in `process_action' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/activerecord-4.1.1/lib/active_record/railties/controller_runtime.rb:18:in `process_action' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:136:in `process' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionview-4.1.1/lib/action_view/rendering.rb:30:in `process' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb:595:in `process' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb:64:in `process' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/devise-3.2.4/lib/devise/test_helpers.rb:19:in `block in process' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/devise-3.2.4/lib/devise/test_helpers.rb:72:in `catch' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/devise-3.2.4/lib/devise/test_helpers.rb:72:in `_catch_warden' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/devise-3.2.4/lib/devise/test_helpers.rb:19:in `process' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/actionpack-4.1.1/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb:495:in `get' # ./spec/controllers/SomeController_spec.rb:31:in `block (4 levels) in <top (required)>' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example.rb:114:in `instance_eval' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example.rb:114:in `block in run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/extensions/instance_eval_with_args.rb:16:in `instance_exec' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/extensions/instance_eval_with_args.rb:16:in `instance_eval_with_args' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example.rb:247:in `instance_eval_with_args' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/hooks.rb:106:in `block (2 levels) in run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example.rb:179:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example.rb:179:in `run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/extensions/instance_eval_with_args.rb:16:in `instance_exec' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/extensions/instance_eval_with_args.rb:16:in `instance_eval_with_args' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example.rb:247:in `instance_eval_with_args' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/hooks.rb:106:in `block (2 levels) in run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/hooks.rb:108:in `call' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/hooks.rb:108:in `run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/hooks.rb:446:in `run_hook' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:340:in `run_around_each_hooks' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example.rb:256:in `with_around_each_hooks' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example.rb:111:in `run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:390:in `block in run_examples' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:386:in `map' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:386:in `run_examples' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:371:in `run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:372:in `block in run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:372:in `map' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:372:in `run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:372:in `block in run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:372:in `map' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb:372:in `run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/command_line.rb:28:in `block (2 levels) in run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/command_line.rb:28:in `map' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/command_line.rb:28:in `block in run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/reporter.rb:58:in `report' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/command_line.rb:25:in `run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/runner.rb:80:in `run' # /Users/Me/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247/gems/rspec-core-2.14.8/lib/rspec/core/runner.rb:17:in `block in autorun' ```