How to avoid the automatic $routeChangeError exception in the $routeProvider resolve function on a failed $http request?

[Rick Jolly]

I'd like to use the resolve function to delay loading of a ng-view until I've retrieved data from the server. However, I'd like to display the view once the $http response is returned even if there is an error (for example, when the server sends a 401 or 500 header). Angular seems to assume we don't want to show the view in this case and broadcasts a $routeChangeError and logs an exception to the console. Is there a way to avoid that behavior? This seems to happen only in resolve, because it works if I put the $http code in MyCtrl. 

app.config(function ($routeProvider) {

    $routeProvider

        .when('/', {

            templateUrl : 'template.html',

            controller : MyCtrl,

            resolve : MyCtrl.resolve

        });

});

function MyCtrl($scope, data) {

    $scope.data = data;

}

MyCtrl.resolve = {

    response : function($http) {

        return $http({method: 'GET', url: 'http://example.com'}).

            success(function(data, status) {

                // This works and data is injected into MyCtrl

                return data;

            })

           .error(function(data, status) {

                // This doesn't work. Angular broadcasts $routeChangeError and logs an exception to the console 

                return 'error';

            });

    }

}

[Rick Jolly]

I've solved the issue by using the promise library with $http and calling resolve() in the $http error() function. I suppose $http was calling reject() behind the scenes? This does seem messy.

MyCtrl.resolve = {

    response : function($q, $http) {

       var deferred = $q.defer();

        $http({method: 'GET', url: 'http://example.com'})

            .success(function(data, status) {

                deferred.resolve(data);

            })

            .error(function(data, status){

                deferred.resolve("error");

            });

        return deferred.promise;

    }

}