Using the --pattern option

Use the pattern option to configure RSpec to look for specs in files that match a pattern instead of the default "**/*_spec.rb".

  RSpec.configure { |c| c.pattern = '**/*.spec' }

Rather than using require 'spec_helper' at the top of each spec file, ensure that you have --require spec_helper in .rspec. That will always load before the pattern is resolved. With the pattern thus configured, only those spec files that match the pattern will then be loaded.

Background

Given a file named “spec/example_spec.rb” with:

RSpec.describe "two specs" do
  it "passes" do
  end

  it "passes too" do
  end
end

Override the default pattern in configuration

Given a file named “spec/spec_helper.rb” with:

RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.pattern = '**/*.spec'
end

And a file named “spec/one_example.spec” with:

RSpec.describe "something" do
  it "passes" do
  end
end

When I run rspec -rspec_helper

Then the output should contain “1 example, 0 failures”.

Append to the default pattern in configuration

Given a file named “spec/spec_helper.rb” with:

RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.pattern += ',**/*.spec'
end

And a file named “spec/two_examples.spec” with:

RSpec.describe "something" do
  it "passes" do
  end

  it "passes again" do
  end
end

When I run rspec -rspec_helper

Then the output should contain “4 examples, 0 failures”.