Spock constraint - call frequency / target / method parameters

Call frequency constraint (cardinality)

1 * subscriber.receive("hello")      // exactly one call
0 * subscriber.receive("hello")      // zero calls
(1..3) * subscriber.receive("hello") // between one and three calls (inclusive)
(1.._) * subscriber.receive("hello") // at least one call
(_..3) * subscriber.receive("hello") // at most three calls
_ * subscriber.receive("hello")      // any number of calls, including zero
                                     // (rarely needed; see 'Strict Mocking')

Goal constraints (target constraint)

1 * subscriber.receive("hello") // a call to 'subscriber'
1 * _.receive("hello")          // a call to any mock object

Method constraints (method constraint)

1 * subscriber.receive("hello") // a method named 'receive'
1 * subscriber./r.*e/("hello")  // a method whose name matches the given regular expression (here: method name starts with 'r' and ends in 'e')

Parameter constraints (argument constraint)

1 * subscriber.receive("hello")        // an argument that is equal to the String "hello"
1 * subscriber.receive(!"hello")       // an argument that is unequal to the String "hello"
1 * subscriber.receive()               // the empty argument list (would never match in our example)
1 * subscriber.receive(_)              // any single argument (including null)
1 * subscriber.receive(*_)             // any argument list (including the empty argument list)
1 * subscriber.receive(!null)          // any non-null argument
1 * subscriber.receive(_ as String)    // any non-null argument that is-a String
1 * subscriber.receive(endsWith("lo")) // any non-null argument that is-a String
1 * subscriber.receive({ it.size() > 3 && it.contains('a') })
// an argument that satisfies the given predicate, meaning that
// code argument constraints need to return true of false
// depending on whether they match or not
// (here: message length is greater than 3 and contains the character a)