Flaky Spec Fix: Clear Elasticsearch Data For js: true Specs to Fix Server Errors (#8388)

Co-authored-by: Vaidehi Joshi <vaidehi.sj@gmail.com>

docs/tests/readme.md

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ items:
   - regression-tests.md
   - code-coverage.md
   - codeclimate.md
+  - test-flags.md
 ---
 
 We use the following testing tools:

docs/tests/test-flags.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+title: Test Flags
+---
+
+# Test Flags
+
+When creating tests using Rspec we have the ability to add flags to those tests
+that will signal to Rspec to run certain commands before, after, or around the
+test example.
+
+Some flags that we use are:
+
+- `js: true`
+- `elasticsearch: reset`
+- `elasticsearch: <search class name>`
+- `throttle: true`
+- `type: <test type>`
+
+### Elasticsearch Flags
+
+Two Elasticsearch flags that can be used when dealing with specs that will be
+hitting Elasticsearch. When running a spec that is going to interact with
+Elasticsearch, you want Elasticsearch to be clean like your database. Since we
+don't have a "database cleaner" for Elasticsearch, we have to do it manually.
+There are two ways to do this:
+
+1. `elasticsearch: reset` - This will trigger a complete tear down and rebuild
+   of Elasticsearch via a block. This takes time so it's not something you
+   want to be doing unless you absolutely have to.
+
+```ruby
+  config.around(:each, elasticsearch_reset: true) do |example|
+    Search::Cluster.recreate_indexes
+    example.run
+    Search::Cluster.recreate_indexes
+  end
+```
+
+2. `elasticsearch: <search class name>` - This will clear the data for the given
+   search class index. For example, if you passed "User" as your search class
+   name it would clear out the user index data using code from this block.
+
+```ruby
+  config.around(:each, :elasticsearch) do |ex|
+    klasses = Array.wrap(ex.metadata[:elasticsearch]).map do |search_class|
+      Search.const_get(search_class)
+    end
+    klasses.each { |klass| clear_elasticsearch_data(klass) }
+    ex.run
+  end
+```
+
+**NOTE** Any specs that use the `js: true` flag might be hitting Elasticsearch.
+You may want to consider clearing out Elasticsearch data for those specs even if
+you don't intend on working with Elasticsearch directly to ensure that you have
+a clean page load with no unexpected data.

spec/system/articles/user_visits_articles_by_tag_spec.rb

@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ RSpec.describe "User visits articles by tag", type: :system do
     context "when 2 articles" do
       before { visit "/t/javascript" }
 
-      it "shows the header", js: true, percy: true do
+      it "shows the header", js: true, percy: true, elasticsearch: "FeedContent" do
         Percy.snapshot(page, name: "Tags: logged out user")
 
         within("h1") { expect(page).to have_text("javascript") }
       end
 
-      it "shows the follow button", js: true do
+      it "shows the follow button", js: true, elasticsearch: "FeedContent" do
         within("h1") { expect(page).to have_button("Follow") }
       end
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ RSpec.describe "User visits articles by tag", type: :system do
         end
       end
 
-      it "when user clicks 'week'", js: true do
+      it "when user clicks 'week'", js: true, elasticsearch: "FeedContent" do
         click_on "WEEK"
 
         within("#articles-list") do
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ RSpec.describe "User visits articles by tag", type: :system do
       visit "/t/functional"
     end
 
-    it "shows the following button", js: true do
+    it "shows the following button", js: true, elasticsearch: "FeedContent" do
       # TODO: Add Percy snapshot?
       wait_for_javascript
 

spec/system/homepage/user_visits_homepage_articles_spec.rb

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ RSpec.describe "User visits a homepage", type: :system do
         expect(page).to have_selector(".crayons-story--featured", visible: :visible)
       end
 
-      it "shows the main article readable date", js: true do
+      it "shows the main article readable date", js: true, elasticsearch: "FeedContent" do
         expect(page).to have_selector(".crayons-story--featured time", text: "Mar 4")
       end
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ RSpec.describe "User visits a homepage", type: :system do
         expect(page).to have_text(article2.title)
       end
 
-      it "shows all articles dates", js: true do
+      it "shows all articles dates", js: true, elasticsearch: "FeedContent" do
         expect(page).to have_selector(".crayons-story time", text: "Mar 4", count: 2)
       end
 

spec/system/user/view_user_comments_spec.rb

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ RSpec.describe "User comments", type: :system do
       end
     end
 
-    it "shows user's comments", js: true, percy: true do
+    it "shows user's comments", js: true, percy: true, elasticsearch: "FeedContent" do
       Percy.snapshot(page, name: "Comments: /:user_id/comments renders")
 
       within("#substories div.index-comments") do