Extract new method initialize_field for easier overrides

app/forms/hydra_editor/form.rb

@@ -55,16 +55,19 @@ def build_permitted_params
     end
 
     protected
-      # override this method if you need to initialize more complex RDF assertions (b-nodes)
       def initialize_fields
+        # we're making a local copy of the attributes that we can modify.
         @attributes = model.attributes
-        terms.select { |key| self[key].blank? }.each do |key|
-          # if value is empty, we create an one element array to loop over for output
-          if self.class.multiple?(key)
-            self[key] = ['']
-          else
-            self[key] = ''
-          end
+        terms.select { |key| self[key].blank? }.each { |key| initialize_field(key) }
+      end
+
+      # override this method if you need to initialize more complex RDF assertions (b-nodes)
+      def initialize_field(key)
+        # if value is empty, we create an one element array to loop over for output
+        if self.class.multiple?(key)
+          self[key] = ['']
+        else
+          self[key] = ''
         end
       end
   end

spec/forms/hydra_editor_form_spec.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe HydraEditor::Form do
+  class TestModel < ActiveFedora::Base
+    property :title, predicate: ::RDF::DC.title
+    property :creator, predicate: ::RDF::DC.creator, multiple: false
+  end
+
+  class TestForm
+    include HydraEditor::Form
+    self.model_class = TestModel
+    # Terms is the list of fields displayed by app/views/records/_form.html.erb
+    self.terms = [:title, :creator]
+  end
+
+  describe "class methods" do
+    subject { TestForm.model_name }
+    it { is_expected.to eq 'TestModel' }
+  end
+
+  let(:object) { TestModel.new(title: ['foo', 'bar'], creator: 'baz') }
+  let(:form) { TestForm.new(object) }
+
+  describe "#terms" do
+    subject { form.terms }
+    it { is_expected.to eq [:title, :creator] }
+  end
+
+  describe "the term accessors" do
+    it "should have the accessors" do
+      expect(form.title).to eq ['foo', 'bar']
+      expect(form.creator).to eq 'baz'
+    end
+
+    it "should have the hash accessors" do
+      expect(form[:title]).to eq ['foo', 'bar']
+      expect(form[:creator]).to eq 'baz'
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#initialize_field" do
+    before do
+      form[:title] = nil
+    end
+
+    it "should put an empty element in the value" do
+      expect { form.send(:initialize_field, :title) }.to change { form[:title] }.
+        from(nil).to([''])
+    end
+  end
+
+end