insights on recurring controller/service/api relationship

[Jonathan Price]

I’m finding this kind of relationship in my apps a lot, and I’d love some critiques/warnings/best practices ideas from you folks.  Kinda made it up as I went along, and now I’m wondering if it’s the best way?  I’ve left out some functionality (like update, delete, find individual thing, etc) from the service,  but I wanted to simplify the idea to make it easier for you to respond.  Thanks for the insight.

controller:

.controller(’ThingController', ['$scope', ‘ThingService’,
    function($scope, ThingService) {

    $scope.model = {};   
    $scope.model.things = ThingService.getThings();

    ThingService.loadThings();

    $scope.create = function() {
        ThingService.create();
        ThingService.ready().then(
            function() {$scope.model.things = ThingService.getThings(); } //refresh array
        }
    }

}])

service:
    .factory(’ThingService', ['$q', ‘api-service',
        function($q, apiSvc) {

        var model = {};
        var loaded = $q.defer();
       
        model.things = [];

        return {
            loadThings: loadThings,

            ready: function() {
                return loaded.promise;
            },

            getThings: function() {
                return model.things;
            },

            create: function(thing) {
                loaded = $q.defer();
                apiSvc.createThing(thing).then(function(result) {
                    model.things.push(result.data);
                    resolve();                   
                });
            }
        };

        function loadThings(userID) {
            loaded = $q.defer();
            apiSvc.getThings(userID).then(function(result) {
                angular.copy(result.data, model.things);
                resolve();
            });
        }

        function resolve() {
            return loaded.resolve()
        }
}])

api-service:
    .factory('APIService', ['$http’,  function($http) {
        getThings: function(credentials) {
            return $http({
                method: “get",
                url: ‘http://website.com/getThings'
            })
        }
}])

[Sander Elias]

Hi Jonathan,

This is similar to what $resource does, with the difference that $resource abstracts it even more. I'm not suggesting that you need to move to $resource, but rather that you read trough the docs and source of it. It will give you the pointers you need to make your own implementation a bit more versatile, so you don't need to repeat it for every thingieTM you need to load.

Regards

Sander

[Puritan Paul]

I’ll definitely do some more reading.  I’d started to dabble with resource, but I’ve had a little trouble understanding the right way to use it.  Seems like the right track, though.

Thanks.

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[Sander Elias]

Hi Jonathan,

I don't use $resource often. I do build my own versions of it (as you are on pathway to do the same!). Rolling my own has the upside that I have more control over how the communication with the server is done. In some cases, I don't even use $http, but web-sockets for example. Currently I'm experimenting (and liking) with RxJS, wich has it's own ajax commands. By rolling your own resource you gain the freedom to control the way your app communicates with your back-end  without much hassle!

Regards

Sander