Rails error with rspec: "expected valid? to return true, got false" - ruby-on-rails-3

Question

I'm new to rails, and after completing Michael Hartl's Ruby on Rails Tutorial, I am trying to expand some of the functionality. I started by changing the microposts so that they collect more data.
When running a rspec test, I can't figure out why I am getting this error:
$ bundle exec rspec spec/models/micropost_spec.rb
...............F.....
Failures:
1) Micropost
Failure/Error: it { should be_valid }
expected valid? to return true, got false
# ./spec/models/micropost_spec.rb:46:in `block (2 levels) in <top (required)>'
Finished in 1.57 seconds
21 examples, 1 failure
Failed examples:
rspec ./spec/models/micropost_spec.rb:46 # Micropost
micropost_spec.rb
require 'spec_helper'
describe Micropost do
let(:user) { FactoryGirl.create(:user) }
before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(content: "Lorem ipsum",
title: "This is a test title",
privacy: "1",
groups: "This is a test Group",
loc1T: "21 Bond St. Toronto, Ontario",
loc1Lat: "43.654653",
loc1Lon: "-79.377627",
loc2T: "21 Bond St. Toronto, Ontario",
loc2Lat: "43.654653",
loc2Lon: "-79.377627",
startTime: "Jan 1, 2000 12:01:01",
endTime: "Jan 2, 2000 12:01:01",
imageURL: "http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/header/hdr-main.gif")
puts #micropost.errors.messages
}
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(title: "This is a test title") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(privacy: "1") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(groups: "This is a test Group") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(loc1T: "21 Bond St. Toronto, Ontario") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(loc1Lat: "43.654653") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(loc1Lon: "-79.377627") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(loc2T: "21 Bond St. Toronto, Ontario") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(loc2Lat: "43.654653") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(loc2Lon: "-79.377627") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(startTime: "Jan 1, 2000 12:01:01") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(endTime: "Jan 2, 2000 12:01:01") }
#before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(imageURL: "http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/header/hdr-main.gif") }
subject { #micropost }
it { should respond_to(:content) }
it { should respond_to(:user_id) }
it { should respond_to(:user) }
it { should respond_to(:title) }
it { should respond_to(:privacy) }
it { should respond_to(:groups) }
it { should respond_to(:loc1T) }
it { should respond_to(:loc1Lat) }
it { should respond_to(:loc1Lon) }
it { should respond_to(:loc2T) }
it { should respond_to(:loc2Lat) }
it { should respond_to(:loc2Lon) }
it { should respond_to(:startTime) }
it { should respond_to(:endTime) }
it { should respond_to(:imageURL) }
its(:user) { should == user }
it { should be_valid }
describe "accessible attributes" do
it "should not allow access to user_id" do
expect do
Micropost.new(user_id: user.id)
end.to raise_error(ActiveModel::MassAssignmentSecurity::Error)
end
end
describe "when user_id is not present" do
before { #micropost.user_id = nil }
it { should_not be_valid }
end
describe "with blank content" do
before { #micropost.content = " " }
it { should_not be_valid }
end
describe "with content that is too long" do
before { #micropost.content = "a" * 141 }
it { should_not be_valid }
end
end
micropost.rb
class Micropost < ActiveRecord::Base
attr_accessible :content, :title,:privacy,:groups,:loc1T,:loc1Lat,:loc1Lon,:loc2T,:loc2Lat,:loc2Lon,:startTime,:endTime,:imageURL
belongs_to :user
validates :user_id, presence: true
validates :title, presence: true
validates :privacy, presence: true
validates :groups, presence: true
validates :loc1T, presence: true
validates :loc1Lat, presence: true
validates :loc1Lon, presence: true
validates :loc2T, presence: true
validates :loc2Lat, presence: true
validates :loc2Lon, presence: true
validates :startTime, presence: true
validates :endTime, presence: true
validates :imageURL, presence: true
validates :content, presence: true, length: { maximum: 140 }
default_scope order: 'microposts.created_at DESC'
def self.from_users_followed_by(user)
followed_user_ids = "SELECT followed_id FROM relationships
WHERE follower_id = :user_id"
where("user_id IN (#{followed_user_ids}) OR user_id = :user_id",
user_id: user.id)
end
end
factories.rb
FactoryGirl.define do
factory :user do
#name "Michael Hartl"
#email "michael#example.com"
sequence(:name) { |n| "Person #{n}" }
sequence(:email) { |n| "person_#{n}#example.com"}
password "foobar"
password_confirmation "foobar"
factory :admin do
admin true
end
end
factory :micropost do
content "Lorem ipsum"
title "This is a test title"
privacy "1"
groups "This is a test Group"
loc1T "21 Bond St. Toronto, Ontario"
loc1Lat "43.654653"
loc1Lon "-79.377627"
loc2T "21 Bond St. Toronto, Ontario"
loc2Lat "43.654653"
loc2Lon "-79.377627"
startTime "Jan 1, 2000 12:01:01"
endTime "Jan 2, 2000 12:01:01"
imageURL "http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/header/hdr-main.gif"
user
end
end
I'm not sure if there is anything else you need me to post.

Answer 1

It is not valid because your model object is not passing your validations. In your before block, after you create #micropost, add this line to see which validations are failing
puts #micropost.errors.messages
There will be a hash of validations (fields and error messages) that have failed. Fix those and then your object will be valid. Some earlier commenters had suggestions on where to start to help fix the problem.

Answer 2

This got rid of the errors.
micropost_spec.rb
describe Micropost do
let(:user) { FactoryGirl.create(:user) }
before { #micropost = user.microposts.build(content: "Lorem ipsum",
title: "This is a test title",
privacy: "1",
groups: "This is a test Group",
loc1T: "21 Bond St. Toronto, Ontario",
loc1Lat: "43.654653",
loc1Lon: "-79.377627",
loc2T: "21 Bond St. Toronto, Ontario",
loc2Lat: "43.654653",
loc2Lon: "-79.377627",
startTime: "Jan 1, 2000 12:01:01",
endTime: "Jan 2, 2000 12:01:01",
imageURL: "http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/header/hdr-main.gif")
puts #micropost.errors.messages
}