`include` matcher

Use the include matcher to specify that a collection includes one or more expected objects. It succeeds if any object of the given collection passes the specified matcher. This works on any object that responds to #include? (such as a string or array):

  expect("a string").to include("a")
  expect("a string").to include(/a|str/).twice
  expect("a string").to include("str", "g")
  expect("a string").not_to include("foo")

  expect([1, 2]).to include(1)
  expect([1, 2]).to include(1, 2)
  expect([1, 2]).to include(a_kind_of(Integer))
  expect([1, 2]).to include(be_odd.and be < 10 )
  expect([1, 2]).to include(be_odd)
  expect([1, 2]).to include(be < 10).at_least(2).times
  expect([1, 2]).not_to include(17)

The matcher also provides flexible handling for hashes:

  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).to include(:a)
  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).to include(:a, :b)
  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).to include(:a => 1)
  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).to include(:b => 2, :a => 1)
  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).to include(match(/b/) => 2)
  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).to include(match(/b/) => be_even)
  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).not_to include(:c)
  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).not_to include(:a => 2)
  expect(:a => 1, :b => 2).not_to include(:c => 3)

Array usage

Given a file named “arrayincludematcher_spec.rb” with:

RSpec.describe [1, 3, 7] do
  it { is_expected.to include(1) }
  it { is_expected.to include(3) }
  it { is_expected.to include(7) }
  it { is_expected.to include(1, 7) }
  it { is_expected.to include(1, 3, 7) }
  it { is_expected.to include(a_kind_of(Integer)) }
  it { is_expected.to include(be_odd.and be < 10) }
  it { is_expected.to include(be_odd).at_least(:twice) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(be_even) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(17) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(43, 100) }

  # deliberate failures
  it { is_expected.to include(4) }
  it { is_expected.to include(be_even) }
  it { is_expected.to include(be_odd).at_most(2).times }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(1) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(3) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(7) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(1, 3, 7) }

  # both of these should fail since it includes 1 but not 9
  it { is_expected.to include(1, 9) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(1, 9) }
end

When I run rspec array_include_matcher_spec.rb

Then the output should contain all of these:


20 examples, 9 failures
expected [1, 3, 7] to include 4
expected [1, 3, 7] to include (be even)
expected [1, 3, 7] to include (be odd) at most twice but it is included 3 times
expected [1, 3, 7] not to include 1
expected [1, 3, 7] not to include 3
expected [1, 3, 7] not to include 7
expected [1, 3, 7] not to include 1, 3, and 7
expected [1, 3, 7] to include 9
expected [1, 3, 7] not to include 1

String usage

Given a file named “stringincludematcher_spec.rb” with:

RSpec.describe "a string" do
  it { is_expected.to include("str") }
  it { is_expected.to include("a", "str", "ng") }
  it { is_expected.to include(/a|str/).twice }
  it { is_expected.not_to include("foo") }
  it { is_expected.not_to include("foo", "bar") }

  # deliberate failures
  it { is_expected.to include("foo") }
  it { is_expected.not_to include("str") }
  it { is_expected.to include("str").at_least(:twice) }
  it { is_expected.to include("str", "foo") }
  it { is_expected.not_to include("str", "foo") }
end

When I run rspec string_include_matcher_spec.rb

Then the output should contain all of these:


10 examples, 5 failures
expected “a string” to include “foo”
expected “a string” not to include “str”
expected “a string” to include “str” at least twice but it is included once
expected “a string” to include “foo”
expected “a string” not to include “str”

Hash usage

Given a file named “hashincludematcher_spec.rb” with:

RSpec.describe :a => 7, :b => 5 do
  it { is_expected.to include(:a) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:b, :a) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:a => 7) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:b => 5, :a => 7) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:c) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:c, :d) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:d => 2) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:a => 5) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:b => 7, :a => 5) }

  # deliberate failures
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:a) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:b, :a) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:a => 7) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:a => 7, :b => 5) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:c) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:c, :d) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:d => 2) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:a => 5) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:a => 5, :b => 7) }

  # Mixed cases--the hash includes one but not the other.
  # All 4 of these cases should fail.
  it { is_expected.to include(:a, :d) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:a, :d) }
  it { is_expected.to include(:a => 7, :d => 3) }
  it { is_expected.not_to include(:a => 7, :d => 3) }
end

When I run rspec hash_include_matcher_spec.rb

Then the output should contain all of these:


22 examples, 13 failures
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} not to include :a
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} not to include :b and :a
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} not to include {:a => 7}
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} not to include {:a => 7, :b => 5}
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} to include :c
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} to include :c and :d
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} to include {:d => 2}
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} to include {:a => 5}
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} to include {:a => 5, :b => 7}
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} to include :d
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} not to include :a
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} to include {:d => 3}
expected {:a => 7, :b => 5} not to include {:a => 7}

Counts usage

Given a file named “includematcherwithcountsspec.rb” with:

  RSpec.describe [{:c => 7}, {:a => 1}, {:b => 2}, {:c => 1}, {:a => 3}, {:c => 7}] do
    it { is_expected.to include(:b => 2).exactly(1).times }
    it { is_expected.to include(:b => 2).once }
    it { is_expected.to include(have_key(:a)).twice }
    it { is_expected.to include(have_key(:c)).at_least(2).times }
    it { is_expected.to include(have_key(:a)).at_least(:once) }
    it { is_expected.to include(have_key(:c)).at_least(:twice) }
    it { is_expected.to include(have_key(:d)).at_most(:once) }
    it { is_expected.to include(have_key(:b)).at_most(:twice) }

    # deliberate failures
    it { is_expected.not_to include(have_key(:b)).once }
    it { is_expected.not_to include(have_key(:a)).twice }
    it { is_expected.not_to include(have_key(:c)).at_least(2).times }
    it { is_expected.not_to include(have_key(:d)).at_most(:once) }
  end

When I run rspec include_matcher_with_counts_spec.rb

Then the output should contain all of these:


12 examples, 4 failures
expected [{:c => 7}, {:a => 1}, {:b => 2}, {:c => 1}, {:a => 3}, {:c => 7}] not to include (have key :b) once
expected [{:c => 7}, {:a => 1}, {:b => 2}, {:c => 1}, {:a => 3}, {:c => 7}] not to include (have key :a) twice
expected [{:c => 7}, {:a => 1}, {:b => 2}, {:c => 1}, {:a => 3}, {:c => 7}] not to include (have key :c) at least twice
expected [{:c => 7}, {:a => 1}, {:b => 2}, {:c => 1}, {:a => 3}, {:c => 7}] not to include (have key :d) at most once

include matcher

Array usage

String usage

Hash usage

Counts usage

`include` matcher