class Timecop

Timecop

This is very useful when your app's functionality is dependent on time (e.g. anything that might expire). This will allow us to alter the return value of Date.today, Time.now, and DateTime.now, such that our application code never has to change.

Constants

VERSION

Public Class Methods

baseline() click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 76
def baseline
  instance.send(:baseline)
end
baseline=(baseline) click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 80
def baseline=(baseline)
  instance.send(:baseline=, baseline)
end
freeze(*args, &block) click to toggle source

Allows you to run a block of code and “fake” a time throughout the execution of that block. This is particularly useful for writing test methods where the passage of time is critical to the business logic being tested. For example:

joe = User.find(1)
joe.purchase_home()
assert !joe.mortgage_due?
Timecop.freeze(2008, 10, 5) do
  assert joe.mortgage_due?
end

freeze and travel will respond to several different arguments:

  1. Timecop.freeze(time_inst)

  2. Timecop.freeze(datetime_inst)

  3. Timecop.freeze(date_inst)

  4. Timecop.freeze(offset_in_seconds)

  5. Timecop.freeze(year, month, day, hour=0, minute=0, second=0)

When a block is also passed, Time.now, DateTime.now and Date.today are all reset to their previous values after the block has finished executing. This allows us to nest multiple calls to Timecop.travel and have each block maintain it's concept of “now.”

  • Note: Timecop.freeze will actually freeze time. This can cause unanticipated problems if benchmark or other timing calls are executed, which implicitly expect Time to actually move forward.

  • Rails Users: Be especially careful when setting this in your development environment in a rails project. Generators will load your environment, including the migration generator, which will lead to files being generated with the timestamp set by the Timecop.freeze call in your dev environment

Returns the value of the block if one is given, or the mocked time.

# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 49
def freeze(*args, &block)
  send_travel(:freeze, *args, &block)
end
return(&block) click to toggle source

Reverts back to system's Time.now, Date.today and DateTime.now (if it exists) permamently when no block argument is given, or temporarily reverts back to the system's time temporarily for the given block.

# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 87
def return(&block)
  if block_given?
    instance.send(:return, &block)
  else
    instance.send(:unmock!)
    nil
  end
end
return_to_baseline() click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 96
def return_to_baseline
  instance.send(:return_to_baseline)
  Time.now
end
safe_mode=(safe) click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 105
def safe_mode=(safe)
  @safe_mode = safe
end
safe_mode?() click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 109
def safe_mode?
  false || @safe_mode
end
scale(*args, &block) click to toggle source

Allows you to run a block of code and “scale” a time throughout the execution of that block. The first argument is a scaling factor, for example:

Timecop.scale(2) do
  ... time will 'go' twice as fast here
end

See Timecop#freeze for exact usage of the other arguments

Returns the value of the block if one is given, or the mocked time.

# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 72
def scale(*args, &block)
  send_travel(:scale, *args, &block)
end
travel(*args, &block) click to toggle source

Allows you to run a block of code and “fake” a time throughout the execution of that block. See Timecop#freeze for a sample of how to use (same exact usage syntax)

  • Note: Timecop.travel will not freeze time (as opposed to Timecop.freeze). This is a particularly good candidate for use in environment files in rails projects.

Returns the value of the block if one is given, or the mocked time.

# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 60
def travel(*args, &block)
  send_travel(:travel, *args, &block)
end

Private Class Methods

send_travel(mock_type, *args, &block) click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 114
def send_travel(mock_type, *args, &block)
  val = instance.send(:travel, mock_type, *args, &block)
  block_given? ? val : Time.now
end

Private Instance Methods

baseline=(baseline) click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 122
def baseline=(baseline)
  @baseline = baseline
  @_stack << TimeStackItem.new(:travel, baseline)
end
return() { || ... } click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 148
def return(&block)
  current_stack = @_stack
  current_baseline = @baseline
  unmock!
  yield
  @_stack = current_stack
  @baseline = current_baseline
end
return_to_baseline() click to toggle source
# File lib/timecop/timecop.rb, line 162
def return_to_baseline
  if @baseline
    @_stack = [@_stack.shift]
  else
    unmock!
  end
end