# where is wrong with contoller test? **URL:** \ **Category:** rubyonrails-talk\ **Created:** [September 16, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/where-is-wrong-with-contoller-test/18204 "2007-09-16T00:27:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OnRails](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@OnRails](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/OnRails)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/where-is-wrong-with-contoller-test/18204/1 "2007-09-16T00:27:14Z")
Hi, everybody! I got a strange question when I did a controller test as below On controller.rb: def send\_welcome\_message(person)   some codes; end the controller\_test.rb: def test\_send\_welcome\_message   post :send\_welcome\_message, :person=\>{:id=\>'2', :name=\>'somebody'}         assert\_response :success end when I run this test, There always said,   1) Error: test\_send\_welcome\_message(TestControllerTest): ArgumentError: wrong number of arguments (0 for 1) I know there maybe params are set wrong, but how can I fix it out? please help, Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Showalter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Bob\_Showalter](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Bob_Showalter)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/where-is-wrong-with-contoller-test/18204/2 "2007-09-16T01:42:34Z")
> Hi, everybody! I got a strange question when I did a controller test as below On controller.rb: > > def send\_welcome\_message(person)   some codes; end Your action method needs to be defined without arguments:    def send\_welcome\_message       person = params[:person]       ...    end ---
**Author:** ![OnRails](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@OnRails](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/OnRails)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/where-is-wrong-with-contoller-test/18204/3 "2007-09-16T02:23:59Z")
Thank you, Bob! I depended on your suggestion to do that, It's OK.. Now, I want to know why if I use def send\_welcome\_message(person) this way, I can't get it? anyone can help me? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![OnRails](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@OnRails](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/OnRails)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/where-is-wrong-with-contoller-test/18204/4 "2007-09-17T18:03:20Z")
Hi, everybody. I think that is a function like "def send\_welcome\_message(person)", and that is a model method like "def send\_welcome\_message", so when you defined "def send\_welcome\_message(person)", you can call it in your method, then you don't need to test this function. This idea is right or not? Could somebody tell me.. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3da27b/32.png) [@Ryan1](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Ryan1)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/where-is-wrong-with-contoller-test/18204/5 "2007-09-18T20:11:17Z")
I’m not understanding what you’re saying very well, but I think the issue boils down to the fact that you can’t pass arguments to a controller method that way. You couldnt call "[http://localhost:3000/controller/send\_welcome\_message(person)](http://localhost:3000/controller/send_welcome_message(person))" from the URI box. You would post to "[http://localhost:3000/controller/send\_welcome\_message](http://localhost:3000/controller/send_welcome_message)" with :person parameters in the HTTP request. On a relate note, I would expect a method called send\_welcome\_message to be a helper function that maybe set flash[:notice] and redirected. I wouldn’t expect it to be a controller method. Your issue may be that your doing things in the wrong places and confusing yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3da27b/32.png) [@Ryan1](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Ryan1)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/where-is-wrong-with-contoller-test/18204/6 "2007-09-18T20:13:00Z")
…\*you’re doing things… Stupid homophones.