How can we test non-scope angular controller methods?

Question

We have few methods in Angular Controller, which are not on the scope variable.

Does anyone know, how we can execute or call those methods inside Jasmine tests?

Here is the main code.

var testController = TestModule.controller('testController', function($scope, testService)
{

function handleSuccessOfAPI(data) {
    if (angular.isObject(data))
    {
       $scope.testData = data;
    }
}

function handleFailureOfAPI(status) {
    console.log("handleFailureOfAPIexecuted :: status :: "+status);
}

 // this is controller initialize function.
 function init() {
    $scope.testData = null; 

    // partial URL
    $scope.strPartialTestURL = "partials/testView.html;

    // send test http request 
    testService.getTestDataFromServer('testURI', handleSuccessOfAPI, handleFailureOfAPI);
}

 init();
}

Now in my jasmine test, we are passing "handleSuccessOfAPI" and "handleFailureOfAPI" method, but these are undefined.

Here is jasmine test code.

describe('Unit Test :: Test Controller', function() {
var scope;
var testController;

var httpBackend;
var testService;


beforeEach( function() {
    module('test-angular-angular');

    inject(function($httpBackend, _testService_, $controller, $rootScope) {

        httpBackend = $httpBackend;
        testService= _testService_;

        scope = $rootScope.$new();
        testController= $controller('testController', { $scope: scope, testService: testService});
            });
});

afterEach(function() {
       httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation();
       httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingRequest();
    });

it('Test controller data', function (){ 
    var URL = 'test server url';

    // set up some data for the http call to return and test later.
    var returnData = { excited: true };

    // create expectation
    httpBackend.expectGET(URL ).respond(200, returnData);

    // make the call.
    testService.getTestDataFromServer(URL , handleSuccessOfAPI, handleFailureOfAPI);

    $scope.$apply(function() {
        $scope.runTest();
    });

    // flush the backend to "execute" the request to do the expectedGET assertion.
    httpBackend.flush();

    // check the result. 
    // (after Angular 1.2.5: be sure to use `toEqual` and not `toBe`
    // as the object will be a copy and not the same instance.)
    expect(scope.testData ).not.toBe(null);
});
});

Answer 1

I know this is an old case but here is the solution I am using.

Use the 'this' of your controller

.controller('newController',['$scope',function($scope){
    var $this = this;
    $this.testMe = function(val){
        $scope.myVal = parseInt(val)+1;
    }
}]);

Here is the test:

describe('newDir', function(){
var svc, 
    $rootScope,
    $scope,
    $controller,
    ctrl;


 beforeEach(function () {
    module('myMod');
 });

 beforeEach(function () {
    inject(function ( _$controller_,_$rootScope_) {

        $controller = _$controller_;
        $rootScope = _$rootScope_;
        $compile = _$compile_;
        $scope = $rootScope.$new();
        ctrl = $controller('newController', {'$rootScope': $rootScope, '$scope': $scope });
    });
});

it('testMe inc number', function() {

    ctrl.testMe(10)
    expect($scope.myVal).toEqual(11);
});

});

Full Code Example

Answer 2

As is you won't have access to those functions. When you define a named JS function it's the same as if you were to say

var handleSuccessOfAPI = function(){};

In which case it would be pretty clear to see that the var is only in the scope within the block and there is no external reference to it from the wrapping controller.

Any function which could be called discretely (and therefore tested) will be available on the $scope of the controller.