title: RSpec: What is the difference between a feature and a request spec?
body: <p>What is the conceptual difference between Rspec's <a href="https://www.relishapp.com/rspec/rspec-rails/v/2-13/docs/feature-specs/feature-spec">feature specs</a> and <a href="https://www.relishapp.com/rspec/rspec-rails/v/2-13/docs/request-specs/request-spec">request specs</a>?</p>
  
  <p>From the feature spec docs:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Feature specs are high-level tests meant to exercise slices of functionality
    through an application. They should drive the application only via its
    external interface, usually web pages.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>And for request specs:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Request specs provide a thin wrapper around Rails' integration tests, and are
    designed to drive behavior through the full stack, including routing
    (provided by Rails) and without stubbing (that's up to you).
    With request specs, you can:</p>
    
    <ul>
    <li>specify a single request</li>
    <li>specify multiple requests across multiple controllers</li>
    <li>specify multiple requests across multiple sessions</li>
    </ul>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I know that feature specs use <a href="http://jnicklas.github.com/capybara/">Capybara</a> and request specs do not. But that hardly merits different concepts.</p>