re-enabling the Attributes Fixture loader as first coded by @steverice - YAML...

re-enabling the Attributes Fixture loader as first coded by @steverice - YAML structure is the same as Steve's proposal, needs more work on the cleanAttributes() and runRequiredIndexers() methods.

app/code/community/EcomDev/PHPUnit/Model/Fixture.php

@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ class EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture
 
 	// Configuration path for attribute loaders
     const XML_PATH_FIXTURE_ATTRIBUTE_LOADERS = 'phpunit/suite/fixture/attribute';
+    // Default attribute loader class alias
+    const DEFAULT_ATTRIBUTE_LOADER_CLASS = 'ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_attribute_default';
 
     // Default eav loader class node in loaders configuration
     /* @deprecated since 0.3.0 */

app/code/community/EcomDev/PHPUnit/Model/Fixture/Processor/Attributes.php

+<?php
+/**
+ * PHP Unit test suite for Magento
+ *
+ * NOTICE OF LICENSE
+ *
+ * This source file is subject to the Open Software License (OSL 3.0)
+ * that is bundled with this package in the file LICENSE.txt.
+ * It is also available through the world-wide-web at this URL:
+ * http://opensource.org/licenses/osl-3.0.php
+ *
+ * @category   EcomDev
+ * @package    EcomDev_PHPUnit
+ * @copyright  Copyright (c) 2013 EcomDev BV (http://www.ecomdev.org)
+ * @license    http://opensource.org/licenses/osl-3.0.php  Open Software License (OSL 3.0)
+ * @author     Ivan Chepurnyi <ivan.chepurnyi@ecomdev.org>
+ */
+
+
+class EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Processor_Attributes
+    extends Mage_Core_Model_Abstract
+    implements EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Processor_Interface
+{
+
+    const STORAGE_KEY = 'entities';
+
+    // Configuration path for attribute loaders
+    const XML_PATH_FIXTURE_ATTRIBUTE_LOADERS = 'phpunit/suite/fixture/attribute';
+    // Default attribute loader class node in loaders configuration
+    const DEFAULT_ATTRIBUTE_LOADER_NODE = 'default';
+    // Default attribute loader class alias
+    const DEFAULT_ATTRIBUTE_LOADER_CLASS = 'ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_attribute_default';
+
+
+    /**
+     * Initialize fixture resource model
+     */
+    protected function _construct()
+    {
+        $this->_init('ecomdev_phpunit/fixture');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Does nothing
+     *
+     * @param EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Interface $fixture
+     * @return EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Processor_Attributes
+     */
+    public function initialize(EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Interface $fixture)
+    {
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Retrieves attribute loader for a particular attribute type
+     *
+     * @param string $entityType
+     * @return EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Mysql4_Fixture_Attribute_Abstract
+     */
+    protected function _getAttributeLoader($entityType)
+    {
+        $loaders = Mage::getConfig()->getNode(self::XML_PATH_FIXTURE_ATTRIBUTE_LOADERS);
+
+        if (isset($loaders->$entityType)) {
+            $classAlias = (string)$loaders->$entityType;
+        } elseif (isset($loaders->{self::DEFAULT_ATTRIBUTE_LOADER_NODE})) {
+            $classAlias = (string)$loaders->{self::DEFAULT_ATTRIBUTE_LOADER_NODE};
+        } else {
+            $classAlias = self::DEFAULT_ATTRIBUTE_LOADER_CLASS;
+        }
+
+        return Mage::getResourceSingleton($classAlias);
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * Apply attribute records from fixture file
+     *
+     * @param array                                   $data
+     * @param string                                  $key
+     * @param EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Interface $fixture
+     *
+     * @return EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Processor_Attributes
+     */
+    public function apply(array $data, $key, EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Interface $fixture)
+    {
+        $aAttributeLoaders = array();
+
+        $this->getResource()->beginTransaction();
+
+        foreach ($data as $entityType => $values) {
+            $aAttributeLoaders[] = $this->_getAttributeLoader($entityType)
+                ->setFixture($fixture)
+                ->setOptions($fixture->getOptions())
+                ->loadAttribute($entityType, $values);
+        }
+
+        $this->getResource()->commit();
+
+//        foreach ($aAttributeLoaders as $oAttributeLoader){
+//            $oAttributeLoader->runRequiredIndexers();
+//        }
+
+        $fixture->setStorageData(self::STORAGE_KEY, array_keys($data));
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Discard applied attribute records
+     *
+     * @param array[] $data
+     * @param string $key
+     * @param EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Interface $fixture
+     *
+     * @return EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Processor_Attributes
+     */
+    public function discard(array $data, $key, EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Interface $fixture)
+    {
+        $ignoreCleanUp = array();
+
+        // Ignore cleaning of entities if shared fixture loaded something for them
+        if ($fixture->isScopeLocal()
+            && $fixture->getStorageData(self::STORAGE_KEY,
+                                        EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Interface::SCOPE_SHARED)) {
+            $ignoreCleanUp = $fixture->getStorageData(self::STORAGE_KEY,
+                                                      EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Fixture_Interface::SCOPE_SHARED);
+        }
+
+        $this->getResource()->beginTransaction();
+        foreach (array_keys($data) as $entityType) {
+            if (in_array($entityType, $ignoreCleanUp)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            $this->_getAttributeLoader($entityType)
+                ->cleanAttributes($entityType,$data);
+        }
+
+        $this->getResource()->commit();
+        return $this;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file

app/code/community/EcomDev/PHPUnit/Model/Mysql4/Fixture/Attribute/Abstract.php

@@ -79,18 +79,27 @@ abstract class EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Mysql4_Fixture_Attribute_Abstract
 	 * @return EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Mysql4_Fixture_Attribute_Abstract
 	 * @throws EcomDev_PHPUnit_Model_Mysql4_Fixture_Exception
 	 */
-	public function cleanAttributes($entityType, array $attributeCodes)
+	public function cleanAttributes($entityType, array $attributes)
 	{
 		$eavSetup = new Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Setup('core_setup');
 
 		try {
+            if(empty($attributes)) {
+                throw new Exception('Attribute array cannot be empty');
+            }
+            else {
+                $aAttributeCodes = array();
+                foreach($attributes as $oAttribute){
+                    $aAttributeCodes[] = $oAttribute->getCode();
+                }
+            }
 			//delete entry from eav/attribute and allow FK cascade to delete all related values
 			$this->_getWriteAdapter()
 				->delete(
 					$this->getTable('eav/attribute'),
 					array(
 						'entity_type_id = ?'    => $eavSetup->getEntityTypeId($entityType),
-						'attribute_code IN (?)' => $attributeCodes,
+						'attribute_code IN (?)' => $aAttributeCodes,
 					)
 				);
 			$this->_getWriteAdapter()->commit();

app/code/community/EcomDev/PHPUnit/etc/config.xml

@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@
                     <config>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_processor_config</config>
                     <config_xml>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_processor_config</config_xml>
                     <cache_options>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_processor_cache</cache_options>
+                    <attributes>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_processor_attributes</attributes>
                     <eav>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_processor_eav</eav>
                     <tables>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_processor_tables</tables>
                     <vfs>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_processor_vfs</vfs>
@@ -102,10 +103,9 @@
 		            <!-- Fixture loaders for EAV attributes
 		                 Default can be used but does not support extra attribute table configuration -->
 		            <default>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_attribute_default</default>
-		            <!--<catalog_product>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_attribute_catalog_product</catalog_product>-->
 	            </attribute>
                 <eav>
-                    <!-- Here goes the list of fixture loaders for EAV
+                    <!-- Here goes the list of fixture loaders for EAV entities
                          If no fixture loader is specified for entity, then default will be used
                     -->
                     <default>ecomdev_phpunit/fixture_eav_default</default>