data_fabric has two layers of tests: unit tests and integration tests.
The unit tests test both with and without an actual database. test/database_test.rb tests against a database. The other unit tests mock AR so no actual database is required. You can use the standard test/database.yml which tests against SQLite3 or customize the provided test/database.yml.mysql. The “rake create_db” task will set up the necessary databases and tables.
data_fabric ships with an example application which shows an actual Rails application using data_fabric. You can customize config/database.yml but by default it uses a local Sqlite3 database so there should be no customization necessary.
Run the Rake task to prepare the application for testing. This will delete existing SQLite databases and migrate all the databases from scratch. You should then be able to run the example application’s tests.
cd example rake app:prepare rake test
If you think you’ve found a problem with data_fabric, contact me at mperham AT gmail.com.