Rspec a public method which calls a private method.

user.rb

class User < ActiveRecord::Base

  def my_public_method
    self.my_private_method
  end
  
  private

  def my_private_method
    true
  end
  
end

user_spec.rb

require 'spec_helper'

describe User do

  before(:each) do
    @user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
  end
  
  it "should return true" do
    user.my_public_method.should eq(true)
  end

end

I use Machinist over FactoryGirl, and that does create an actual instance of the model. If FactoryGirl is making a fake, that could be your problem where it only fakes the public interface.

Hm, and in RSpec, even with FactoryGirl, I would do subject { FactoryGirl.create(:user) } and then expect(subject.my_public_method).to be_true

OMG just did this in IRB:

>> class User
>>
?>   def my_public_method
>>     self.my_private_method
>>   end
>>
?>   private
>>
?>   def my_private_method
>>     true
>>   end
>>
?> end
=> nil
>> user = User.new
=> #<User:0x007fa0cc873d30>
>> user.my_public_method
NoMethodError: private method `my_private_method' called for #<User:0x007fa0cc873d30>
  from (irb):4:in `my_public_method'
  from (irb):15
  from /Users/sarah/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/irb:16:in `<main>'

Don't use self!

>> class User
>>
?>   def my_public_method
>>     my_private_method
>>   end
>>
?>   private
>>
?>   def my_private_method
>>     true
>>   end
>>
?> end
=> nil
>> user = User.new
=> #<User:0x007fb0231def68>
>> user.my_public_method
=> true

Don't use should