Using $httpBackend in a service whilst testing an Angular controller

Question

I'm trying to test a controller in my Angular framework:

.controller('UserCtrl', ['$scope', '$location', 'User', 'Config',
    function ($scope, $location, User, Config) {
       ...
    }])

This controller depends on a couple of Services that require the $http object to make server calls:

.factory('User', ['$http', function ($http) {
    var data = {};

    return {
        query: function(oper, putdata, callback){
            if(oper == 'get'){
            $http.get(getUrl("user",null)).success(function(data2) {
                console.log(data2);

                callback(data2);
                data.userinfo = data2;
            });
            },

        userinfo: data
    };
}])

But when I try bootstrapping the controller I can't get httpBackend to work:

describe('UserCtrl', function(){

    var ctrlScope, ctrl, $httpBackend, controllerService;

    beforeEach(
        inject(function($httpBackend, $http, $rootScope, $controller, User, Config) {
            _User = User;
            _Config = Config;
            spyOn(User, 'getUserInfo').andCallThrough();
            //spyOn(User, 'query').andCallThrough();

            ctrlScope = $rootScope.$new();
            controllerService = $controller;
            httpMock = $httpBackend;

        })
    );

    it('should create setup userinfo object ', function() {
        httpMock.expectGET("/user/default/details").
            respond({somejson});

        ctrl = controllerService('UserCtrl', {$scope: ctrlScope, $location: location, User: _User, Config: _Config});
        expect(_User.getUserInfo).toHaveBeenCalled();
        httpMock.flush();
        expect(ctrlScope.userinfo.length).toBe(1);

    });
});

All I ever get is:

Error: No pending request to flush !

so is it possible to use httpBackend with a service that you have called from a controller you are testing?

Where is getUserInfo defined? It seems like your method is still called 'query'? — Rafi
– Rafi, Commented Jul 11, 2013 at 3:14

achan · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-06 19:07:52Z

1

Is there a reason you want to specifically test for a GET request? This is an implementation detail of your User service.

Regardless of whether your function is called query() or getUserInfo(), I suspect all that you really want to know is that the function was called on your User service. It's up to the User service to have it's own set of tests that will test that a GET request was made to /user/defaults/details.

The reasoning behind this is that you don't want unrelated unit tests to break when you change the implementation of your User service. What happens when your API changes to /user/query? Your UserCtrl tests should not break, nor should any other controller that's using User service. If your UserCtrl is calling getUserInfo() on User service, it's doing the right thing as far as you're concerned. Your User service unit tests will break and once you fix them to point to your new URL, everything is back in order.

answered Aug 6, 2013 at 19:07

achan

5513 silver badges11 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

Danillo Corvalan Over a year ago

I was about to ask the same think, struggling for hours trying to test a similar scenario. Thanks for the reply, it's clarified a lot of things

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Using $httpBackend in a service whilst testing an Angular controller

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related