To test angular 1.5 components, the docs recommend you use ngMock's $componentController instead of using $compile if you don't need to test any of the DOM.
However, my component uses ngModel which I need to pass into the locals for $componentController, but there is no way to programmatically get the ngModelController; the only way to test it is to actually $compile an element with it on it, as this issue is still open: https://github.com/angular/angular.js/issues/7720.
Is there any way to test my components controller without resorting to $compiling it? I also don't want to have to mock the ngModelController myself as its behavior is somewhat extensive and if my tests rely on a fake one rather than the real thing there is a chance newer versions of Angular could break it (though that probably isn't an issue given Angular 1 is being phased out).
tl;dr: Solution is in the third code block.
but there is no way to programmatically get the ngModelController
Not with that attitude. ;)
You can get it programmatically, just a little roundabout. The method of doing so is in the code for ngMock's $componentController service (paraphrased here); use $injector.get('ngModelDirective') to look it up, and the controller function will be attached to it as the controller property:
this.$get = ['$controller','$injector', '$rootScope', function($controller, $injector, $rootScope) {
return function $componentController(componentName, locals, bindings, ident) {
// get all directives associated to the component name
var directives = $injector.get(componentName + 'Directive');
// look for those directives that are components
var candidateDirectives = directives.filter(function(directiveInfo) {
// ...
});
// ...
// get the info of the component
var directiveInfo = candidateDirectives[0];
// create a scope if needed
locals = locals || {};
locals.$scope = locals.$scope || $rootScope.$new(true);
return $controller(directiveInfo.controller, locals, bindings, ident || directiveInfo.controllerAs);
};
}];
Though you need to supply the ngModelController locals for $element and $attrs when you instantiate it. The test spec for ngModel demonstrates exactly how to do this in its beforeEach call:
beforeEach(inject(function($rootScope, $controller) {
var attrs = {name: 'testAlias', ngModel: 'value'};
parentFormCtrl = {
$$setPending: jasmine.createSpy('$$setPending'),
$setValidity: jasmine.createSpy('$setValidity'),
$setDirty: jasmine.createSpy('$setDirty'),
$$clearControlValidity: noop
};
element = jqLite('<form><input></form>');
scope = $rootScope;
ngModelAccessor = jasmine.createSpy('ngModel accessor');
ctrl = $controller(NgModelController, {
$scope: scope,
$element: element.find('input'),
$attrs: attrs
});
//Assign the mocked parentFormCtrl to the model controller
ctrl.$$parentForm = parentFormCtrl;
}));
So, adapting that to what we need, we get a spec like this:
describe('Unit: myComponent', function () {
var $componentController,
$controller,
$injector,
$rootScope;
beforeEach(inject(function (_$componentController_, _$controller_, _$injector_, _$rootScope_) {
$componentController = _$componentController_;
$controller = _$controller_;
$injector = _$injector_;
$rootScope = _$rootScope_;
}));
it('should update its ngModel value accordingly', function () {
var ngModelController,
locals
ngModelInstance,
$ctrl;
locals = {
$scope: $rootScope.$new(),
//think this could be any element, honestly, but matching the component looks better
$element: angular.element('<my-component></my-component>'),
//the value of $attrs.ngModel is exactly what you'd put for ng-model in a template
$attrs: { ngModel: 'value' }
};
locals.$scope.value = null; //this is what'd get passed to ng-model in templates
ngModelController = $injector.get('ngModelDirective')[0].controller;
ngModelInstance = $controller(ngModelController, locals);
$ctrl = $componentController('myComponent', null, { ngModel: ngModelInstance });
$ctrl.doAThingToUpdateTheModel();
scope.$digest();
//Check against both the scope value and the $modelValue, use toBe and toEqual as needed.
expect(ngModelInstance.$modelValue).toBe('some expected value goes here');
expect(locals.$scope.value).toBe('some expected value goes here');
});
});
ADDENDUM: You can also simplify it further by instead injecting ngModelDirective in the beforeEach and setting a var in the describe block to contain the controller function, like you do with services like $controller.
describe('...', function () {
var ngModelController;
beforeEach(inject(function(_ngModelDirective_) {
ngModelController = _ngModelDirective_[0].controller;
}));
});
I've read in other SO answers that code that doesn't manipulate the view should be accessed via services. However, I have a function that I want to share over several Angular controllers, which accesses both $scope, $rootScope and $location:
$scope.selectBatch = function (id) {
if (!id) {
$scope.batchSelected = false;
$rootScope.job = false;
$scope.data = allData;
$location.path('/', false);
} else {
$scope.batchSelected = id;
$rootScope.job = {'BatchId': id};
var arr = [];
for (var i = 0; i < allData.length; i++) {
if (String(allData[i].BatchId) === String(id)) {
arr.push(allData[i]);
}
}
$scope.data = arr;
$rootScope.go(id, 'batch');
}
};
Ideally, in each controller I'd like to do something like:
$scope.selectBatch = services.selectBatch($scope, $rootscope, $location);
to load in this function from a service, although this feels "non-angular".
What's the "Angular" / MVC way of injecting this sort of function into multiple controllers?
From the comments on this question it appears the correct answer is to do it like this:
1. Create a service that returns a function
angular.module('myApp.services', []).service('shared', ['$location', function ($location) {
this.selectBatch = function($rootScope, $scope){
return function(id){
// Do stuff with $location, id, $rootScope and $scope here
}
}
}]);
2. Inject the service and associated functions into your controllers
.controller('myCtrl', ['shared', '$scope', '$rootScope'
function (shared, $scope, $rootScope) {
$scope.selectBatch = shared.selectBatch($rootScope, $scope);
}]);
You can then call this function using $scope.selectBatch(id) and it works as expected.
Happy to consider other answers if there are "better" ways to achieve this.
Angular services are substitutable objects that are wired together using dependency injection (DI). You can use services to organize and share code across your app.
You can use services to organize and share code across your app
Be aware that sending $scope as parameter to a service is not a good idea. Instead you could send the parameters the function needs in order to process something. This way your service could be more reusable.
Check this SO Question: Injecting $scope into an angular service function()
Ideally you could write a shared service like this:
app.factory('sharedService', ['$location', function($location)
{
var sharedService = {};
sharedService.selectBatch = function(batchSelected, job, data, id)
{
//Do something with batchSelected, job, data, id parameters
};
return sharedService;
}]);
Then all your controllers could look like this
app.controller('myCtrl', ['sharedService', function(sharedService)
{
$scope.batchSelected;
$scope.job;
$scope.data;
$scope.id;
$scope.selectBatch = sharedService.selectBatch($scope.batchSelected, $scope.job, $scope.data, $scope.id);
}]);
NOTE
You don't have to send the $location parameter either, since you could inject it in your shared service.
I use the following factory to fetch data from API and store it to local variable called apiData.
app.factory('MyFactory', function($resource, $q) {
var apiData = [];
var service = {};
var resource = $resource('http://example.com/api/sampledata/');
service.getApiData=function() {
var itemsDefer=$q.defer();
if(apiData.length >0) {
itemsDefer.resolve(apiData);
}
else
{
resource.query({},function(data) {
apiData=data;
itemsDefer.resolve(data)
});
}
return itemsDefer.promise;
};
service.add=function(newItem){
if(apiData.length > 0){
apiData.push(newItem);
}
};
service.remove=function(itemToRemove){
if(apiData.length > 0){
apiData.splice(apiData.indexOf(itemToRemove), 1);
}
};
return service;
});
I inject the apiData into my controllers the following way:
$routeProvider
.when('/myview', {
templateUrl: 'views/myview.html',
controller: 'MyController',
resolve: {
queryset: function(MyFactory){
return MyFactory.getApiData();
}
}
})
app.controller('MyController', ['$scope', 'queryset',
function ($scope, queryset) {
$scope.queryset = queryset;
}
]);
Is it a good way to share a promise between different controllers or I better to use local storage or even cacheFactory?
How can I rewrite MyFactory add() and remove() methods so that I can keep my shared variable in a current state (no API update/create/delete calls needed)?
Thank you!
You should use $resource to get $promise eg: resource.query().$promise instead of $q.defer() for cleaner code. Otherwise you are good to go. You could use $cacheFactory, but you can also use local var.
Isn't your shared variable in a current state with current code?
I recommend you take a look at ui-router and its nested and abstract views, where resolved values are available to child controllers.
I have the worlds simplest controller which i want access to $scope but it is "undefined" and I cannot, for the life of me work out why, however all the functions are called corectly, the DataService, etc is working perfectly, just i have no access to $scope?!
controller code is below
app = angular.module("windscreens", []);
app.controller('DamageCtrl', function($scope, DataService) {
$scope.setDamageLocation = function(location) {
DataService.getDamage().setLocation(location);
};
$scope.isLocation = function(requiredLocation) {
return DataService.getDamage().getLocation() === requiredLocation;
};
$scope.progress = function() {
};
});
To access a property on the scope from your HTML template you only need to use the property name, you don't need to write $scope with it.
Example:
<button ng-click="progress()"></button>
In your javascript you will only have access to the $scope inside the controller and its functions. If you call an external resource, for example: DataService module, it won't have access to the $scope unless you pass it as an argument explicitly.
I managed to get it working using the alternative syntax. As detailed below, still not sure why it wasn't working but hey hum
app.controller('DamageCtrl', ['$scope', 'DataService',
function($scope, DataService) {
$scope.setDamageLocation = function(location) {
DataService.getDamage().setLocation(location);
};
$scope.isLocation = function(requiredLocation) {
return DataService.getDamage().getLocation() === requiredLocation;
};
$scope.progress = function() {
console.log($scope);
};
}
]);
I am learning AngularJS. Let's say I have /view1 using My1Ctrl, and /view2 using My2Ctrl; that can be navigated to using tabs where each view has its own simple, but different form.
How would I make sure that the values entered in the form of view1 are not reset, when a user leaves and then returns to view1 ?
What I mean is, how can the second visit to view1 keep the exact same state of the model as I left it ?
I took a bit of time to work out what is the best way of doing this. I also wanted to keep the state, when the user leaves the page and then presses the back button, to get back to the old page; and not just put all my data into the rootscope.
The final result is to have a service for each controller. In the controller, you just have functions and variables that you dont care about, if they are cleared.
The service for the controller is injected by dependency injection. As services are singletons, their data is not destroyed like the data in the controller.
In the service, I have a model. the model ONLY has data - no functions -. That way it can be converted back and forth from JSON to persist it. I used the html5 localstorage for persistence.
Lastly i used window.onbeforeunload and $rootScope.$broadcast('saveState'); to let all the services know that they should save their state, and $rootScope.$broadcast('restoreState') to let them know to restore their state ( used for when the user leaves the page and presses the back button to return to the page respectively).
Example service called userService for my userController :
app.factory('userService', ['$rootScope', function ($rootScope) {
var service = {
model: {
name: '',
email: ''
},
SaveState: function () {
sessionStorage.userService = angular.toJson(service.model);
},
RestoreState: function () {
service.model = angular.fromJson(sessionStorage.userService);
}
}
$rootScope.$on("savestate", service.SaveState);
$rootScope.$on("restorestate", service.RestoreState);
return service;
}]);
userController example
function userCtrl($scope, userService) {
$scope.user = userService;
}
The view then uses binding like this
<h1>{{user.model.name}}</h1>
And in the app module, within the run function i handle the broadcasting of the saveState and restoreState
$rootScope.$on("$routeChangeStart", function (event, next, current) {
if (sessionStorage.restorestate == "true") {
$rootScope.$broadcast('restorestate'); //let everything know we need to restore state
sessionStorage.restorestate = false;
}
});
//let everthing know that we need to save state now.
window.onbeforeunload = function (event) {
$rootScope.$broadcast('savestate');
};
As i mentioned this took a while to come to this point. It is a very clean way of doing it, but it is a fair bit of engineering to do something that i would suspect is a very common issue when developing in Angular.
I would love to see easier, but as clean ways to handle keeping state across controllers, including when the user leaves and returns to the page.
A bit late for an answer but just updated fiddle with some best practice
jsfiddle
var myApp = angular.module('myApp',[]);
myApp.factory('UserService', function() {
var userService = {};
userService.name = "HI Atul";
userService.ChangeName = function (value) {
userService.name = value;
};
return userService;
});
function MyCtrl($scope, UserService) {
$scope.name = UserService.name;
$scope.updatedname="";
$scope.changeName=function(data){
$scope.updateServiceName(data);
}
$scope.updateServiceName = function(name){
UserService.ChangeName(name);
$scope.name = UserService.name;
}
}
$rootScope is a big global variable, which is fine for one-off things, or small apps.
Use a service if you want to encapsulate your model and/or behavior (and possibly reuse it elsewhere). In addition to the google group post the OP mentioned, see also https://groups.google.com/d/topic/angular/eegk_lB6kVs/discussion.
Angular doesn't really provide what you are looking for out of the box. What i would do to accomplish what you're after is use the following add ons
UI Router & UI Router Extras
These two will provide you with state based routing and sticky states, you can tab between states and all information will be saved as the scope "stays alive" so to speak.
Check the documentation on both as it's pretty straight forward, ui router extras also has a good demonstration of how sticky states works.
I had the same problem, This is what I did:
I have a SPA with multiple views in the same page (without ajax), so this is the code of the module:
var app = angular.module('otisApp', ['chieffancypants.loadingBar', 'ngRoute']);
app.config(['$routeProvider', function($routeProvider){
$routeProvider.when('/:page', {
templateUrl: function(page){return page.page + '.html';},
controller:'otisCtrl'
})
.otherwise({redirectTo:'/otis'});
}]);
I have only one controller for all views, but, the problem is the same as the question, the controller always refresh data, in order to avoid this behavior I did what people suggest above and I created a service for that purpose, then pass it to the controller as follows:
app.factory('otisService', function($http){
var service = {
answers:[],
...
}
return service;
});
app.controller('otisCtrl', ['$scope', '$window', 'otisService', '$routeParams',
function($scope, $window, otisService, $routeParams){
$scope.message = "Hello from page: " + $routeParams.page;
$scope.update = function(answer){
otisService.answers.push(answers);
};
...
}]);
Now I can call the update function from any of my views, pass values and update my model, I haven't no needed to use html5 apis for persistence data (this is in my case, maybe in other cases would be necessary to use html5 apis like localstorage and other stuff).
An alternative to services is to use the value store.
In the base of my app I added this
var agentApp = angular.module('rbAgent', ['ui.router', 'rbApp.tryGoal', 'rbApp.tryGoal.service', 'ui.bootstrap']);
agentApp.value('agentMemory',
{
contextId: '',
sessionId: ''
}
);
...
And then in my controller I just reference the value store. I don't think it holds thing if the user closes the browser.
angular.module('rbAgent')
.controller('AgentGoalListController', ['agentMemory', '$scope', '$rootScope', 'config', '$state', function(agentMemory, $scope, $rootScope, config, $state){
$scope.config = config;
$scope.contextId = agentMemory.contextId;
...
Solution that will work for multiple scopes and multiple variables within those scopes
This service was based off of Anton's answer, but is more extensible and will work across multiple scopes and allows the selection of multiple scope variables in the same scope. It uses the route path to index each scope, and then the scope variable names to index one level deeper.
Create service with this code:
angular.module('restoreScope', []).factory('restoreScope', ['$rootScope', '$route', function ($rootScope, $route) {
var getOrRegisterScopeVariable = function (scope, name, defaultValue, storedScope) {
if (storedScope[name] == null) {
storedScope[name] = defaultValue;
}
scope[name] = storedScope[name];
}
var service = {
GetOrRegisterScopeVariables: function (names, defaultValues) {
var scope = $route.current.locals.$scope;
var storedBaseScope = angular.fromJson(sessionStorage.restoreScope);
if (storedBaseScope == null) {
storedBaseScope = {};
}
// stored scope is indexed by route name
var storedScope = storedBaseScope[$route.current.$$route.originalPath];
if (storedScope == null) {
storedScope = {};
}
if (typeof names === "string") {
getOrRegisterScopeVariable(scope, names, defaultValues, storedScope);
} else if (Array.isArray(names)) {
angular.forEach(names, function (name, i) {
getOrRegisterScopeVariable(scope, name, defaultValues[i], storedScope);
});
} else {
console.error("First argument to GetOrRegisterScopeVariables is not a string or array");
}
// save stored scope back off
storedBaseScope[$route.current.$$route.originalPath] = storedScope;
sessionStorage.restoreScope = angular.toJson(storedBaseScope);
},
SaveState: function () {
// get current scope
var scope = $route.current.locals.$scope;
var storedBaseScope = angular.fromJson(sessionStorage.restoreScope);
// save off scope based on registered indexes
angular.forEach(storedBaseScope[$route.current.$$route.originalPath], function (item, i) {
storedBaseScope[$route.current.$$route.originalPath][i] = scope[i];
});
sessionStorage.restoreScope = angular.toJson(storedBaseScope);
}
}
$rootScope.$on("savestate", service.SaveState);
return service;
}]);
Add this code to your run function in your app module:
$rootScope.$on('$locationChangeStart', function (event, next, current) {
$rootScope.$broadcast('savestate');
});
window.onbeforeunload = function (event) {
$rootScope.$broadcast('savestate');
};
Inject the restoreScope service into your controller (example below):
function My1Ctrl($scope, restoreScope) {
restoreScope.GetOrRegisterScopeVariables([
// scope variable name(s)
'user',
'anotherUser'
],[
// default value(s)
{ name: 'user name', email: 'user#website.com' },
{ name: 'another user name', email: 'anotherUser#website.com' }
]);
}
The above example will initialize $scope.user to the stored value, otherwise will default to the provided value and save that off. If the page is closed, refreshed, or the route is changed, the current values of all registered scope variables will be saved off, and will be restored the next time the route/page is visited.
You can use $locationChangeStart event to store the previous value in $rootScope or in a service. When you come back, just initialize all previously stored values. Here is a quick demo using $rootScope.
var app = angular.module("myApp", ["ngRoute"]);
app.controller("tab1Ctrl", function($scope, $rootScope) {
if ($rootScope.savedScopes) {
for (key in $rootScope.savedScopes) {
$scope[key] = $rootScope.savedScopes[key];
}
}
$scope.$on('$locationChangeStart', function(event, next, current) {
$rootScope.savedScopes = {
name: $scope.name,
age: $scope.age
};
});
});
app.controller("tab2Ctrl", function($scope) {
$scope.language = "English";
});
app.config(function($routeProvider) {
$routeProvider
.when("/", {
template: "<h2>Tab1 content</h2>Name: <input ng-model='name'/><br/><br/>Age: <input type='number' ng-model='age' /><h4 style='color: red'>Fill the details and click on Tab2</h4>",
controller: "tab1Ctrl"
})
.when("/tab2", {
template: "<h2>Tab2 content</h2> My language: {{language}}<h4 style='color: red'>Now go back to Tab1</h4>",
controller: "tab2Ctrl"
});
});
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.6.9/angular.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.6.9/angular-route.js"></script>
<body ng-app="myApp">
Tab1
Tab2
<div ng-view></div>
</body>
</html>