NonCaseSwappableValueError

This error is raised when using validate_uniqueness_of. This matcher, of course, tests that an attribute disallows a non-unique value -- and what constitutes as "unique" depends on whether the case-sensitivity of that value matters. If it does matter -- meaning that the uniqueness validation in your model isn't using case_sensitive: false and you haven't qualified the matcher with case_insensitive -- then the matcher will run the following test:

Creating first a record with a value of "A":

  • A new record with a value of "A" should not be valid (failing the uniqueness validation)
  • A new record with a value of "a" should be valid

The test value we're using is in this case "A", and this is what the matcher will use if an existing record is not already present in the database. But if a record already exists, then the matcher will use it as comparison -- it will read the attribute under test off of the record and use its value. So a better example might be:

Given an existing record with a value:

  • A new record with the same value should not be valid (failing the uniqueness validation)
  • A new record with the same value, but where the case is swapped (using String#swapcase), should be valid

Now, what happens if an existing record is there, but the value being used is not one whose case can be swapped, such as "123" or "{-#%}"? Then the second assertion cannot be made effectively.

So this is why you're getting this exception. What can you do about it? As the error message explains, you have two options:

  1. If you want the uniqueness validation in the model to operate case-sensitively and you didn't mean to use a non-case-swappable value, then you need to provide an existing record with a different value, one that contains alpha characters. Here's an example:

    # Model
    class User < ActiveRecord::Base
      validates_uniqueness_of :username
    end
    
    # RSpec
    RSpec.describe User, type: :model do
      context "validations" do
        subject do
          # Note that "123" == "123".swapcase. This is a problem!
          User.new(username: "123")
        end
    
        it do
          # So you can either override it like this, or just fix the subject.
          user = User.create!(username: "john123")
          expect(user).to validate_uniqueness_of(:username)
        end
      end
    end
    
    # Minitest (Shoulda)
    class UserTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
      context "validations" do
        subject do
          # Note that "123" == "123".swapcase. This is a problem!
          User.new(username: "123")
        end
    
        should "validate uniqueness of :username" do
          # So you can either override it like this, or just fix the subject.
          user = User.create!(username: "john123")
          assert_accepts validate_uniqueness_of(:username), record
        end
      end
    end
    
  2. If you don't want the uniqueness validation to operate case-sensitively, then you need to add case_sensitive: false to the validation and add case_insensitive to the matcher:

    # Model
    class User < ActiveRecord::Base
      validates_uniqueness_of :username, case_sensitive: false
    end
    
    # RSpec
    RSpec.describe User, type: :model do
      context "validations" do
        subject do
          # Note that "123" == "123".swapcase, but it's okay
          User.new(username: "123")
        end
    
        it { should validate_uniqueness_of(:username).case_insensitive }
      end
    end
    
    # Minitest (Shoulda)
    class UserTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
      context "validations" do
        subject do
          # Note that "123" == "123".swapcase, but it's okay
          User.new(username: "123")
        end
    
        should validate_uniqueness_of(:username).case_insensitive
      end
    end