Spock test returns a null model

Question

The problem is quite odd, since almost the same action returns the correct model with the difference that I'm not rendering a template but view.

First the controller action:

The rendered model exist here as you can see

def saveAjax(Author authorInstance){
    if(!authorInstance.validate()){
        respond view: 'index', authorInstance.errors
    } else {
        def author = new Author(username: authorInstance.username)
        authorService.save(author)
        render(template: 'author_row', model:[author:author]) //<--here the model is correct           
    }
}

If I swap 'template' with 'view', the test passes

The service:

Author save(Author author) {
    return author?.save(flush: true)
}

The test itself:

void "Test the saveAjax action"() {

    when:"you do not have the correct params"
        controller.saveAjax(new Author())

    then:"expect to be redirected to index"
        view == 'index'

    when:"you have the correct params"
        response.reset()
        controller.saveAjax(new Author(username: "Alice"))

    then:"expect to have model author"
        model.author //<-- here I get author = null
}

The error:

Condition not satisfied:

model.author
|     |
|     null
[authorInstance:daily.journal.Author : (unsaved)]

I know that you could check the content of the rendered template but I am explicitly aiming for the model. Is there any chance of testing it?

Answer 1

Turns out that I hit upon a Grails convention over configuration thingy. Despite that the model is named author, it could be tested only as authorInstance. So I changed it to:

then:"expect to have model author"
      model.authorInstance

in the spec and...it passed. Still I will be glad if someone could explain to me why?