https://3f2f1ead.rails-docs-preview.pages.dev/api/classes/ActiveRecord/TestFixtures

Since we want to document fixture but not _active_record_fixture, can we just flip which one is the alias?

diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_fixtures.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_fixtures.rb
index 00b3f5a846..6dc68087f1 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_fixtures.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_fixtures.rb
@@ -269,14 +269,14 @@ def respond_to_missing?(method, include_private = false)
         end
       end

-      def _active_record_fixture(fixture_set_name, *fixture_names)
+      def fixture(fixture_set_name, *fixture_names) # :doc:
         if fs_name = fixture_sets[fixture_set_name.name]
           access_fixture(fs_name, *fixture_names)
         else
           raise StandardError, "No fixture set named '#{fixture_set_name.inspect}'"
         end
       end
-      alias_method :fixture, :_active_record_fixture
+      alias_method :_active_record_fixture, :fixture

       def access_fixture(fs_name, *fixture_names)

This makes it show up in the doc as a private method for me

(and I guess add # :nodoc: on the alias line to hide the Also aliased as bit)

Since we want to document fixture but not _active_record_fixture, can we just flip which one is the alias?

The risk is if the user overrides fixture, it would break all the fixture name methods because it would hold the implementation. We get around this by relying on _active_record_fixture to have the implementation and using it internally.

This makes it show up in the doc as a private method for me

I believe the entire point of this pull is to make fixture show up as a public method in the docs to encourage use.

The risk is if the user overrides fixture, it would break all the fixture name methods because it would hold the implementation. We get around this by relying on _active_record_fixture to have the implementation and using it internally.

$ irb
irb(main):001* class A
irb(main):002*   def a = puts "A"
irb(main):003*   alias_method :b, :a
irb(main):004> end
=> :b
irb(main):005> A.new.a
A
=> nil
irb(main):006> A.new.b
A
=> nil
irb(main):007* class B < A
irb(main):008*   def a = puts "B"
irb(main):009> end
=> :a
irb(main):010> B.new.a
B
=> nil
irb(main):011> B.new.b
A
=> nil
irb(main):012>

I don't think method redefinition affects aliases, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I believe the entire point of this pull is to make fixture show up as a public method in the docs to encourage use.

My understanding was the purpose was to document the method (whether public or private). If we want it to show up as public then personally it makes more sense to me to just make the method public than "lie" about the privacy.

If we want it to show up as public then personally it makes more sense to me to just make the method public than "lie" about the privacy.

Agreed. I made this pull more for an intellectual exercise than caring about its intent.

I was confused by byroot's comment here: #51213 (comment)

I don't think method redefinition affects aliases, so it shouldn't be a problem.

You are correct.

Why can't we just do this? 110c65d

I was confused by byroot's comment here

The thing is, assertion methods and test helpers are supposed to be private, but that makes them hard to document. Looking at other assertion methods etc in Rails, they are all public, likely for documentation purposes. So yeah, we should just go with that.