controller.md

Unit Testing AngularJS Controllers

Testing Patterns

• Suggested Setup
• Data type
  • Anything
  • Array
  • Boolean
  • Date
  • Method
  • Null
  • Number
  • Object
  • RegExp
  • String
  • Undefined
• Method use
  • should return expected value
  • should call method in same controller
  • should call method on a service
• Have a good pattern?
  • pull request welcome!

Example implementation of these testing patterns

####Suggested Controller Unit Test Setup ↑

# CoffeeScript
describe 'Controller: myCtrl', ->
  myCtrl = scope = mySvc = null
  
  # Initialize the controller and scope
  beforeEach ->
    # Load the controller's module
    module 'myApp'
  
    # Provide any mocks needed
    module ($provide) ->
      $provide.value 'mySvc', new MockMySvc()
      # Make sure CoffeeScript doesn't return anything
      null

    # Inject angular constructs otherwise,
    #  you will need to inject these into each test
    inject ($controller, _mySvc_) ->
      scope = {}
      mySvc = _mySvc_
      myCtrl = $controller 'myCtrl',
        $scope: scope
    
  it 'should exist', ->
    expect(!!myCtrl).toBe yes

  describe 'when created', ->
    # Add specs

  describe 'when destroyed', ->
    # Add specs

// JavaScript
describe('Controller: myCtrl', function () {
  var myCtrl, scope, mySvc;

  // Initialize the controller and scope
  beforeEach(function () {
    // Load the controller's module
    module('myApp');

    // Provide any mocks needed
    module(function ($provide) {
      $provide.value('mySvc', new MockMySvc());
    });

    // Inject in angular constructs otherwise,
    //  you would need to inject these into each test
    inject(function ($controller, _mySvc_) {
      scope = {};
      mySvc = _mySvc_;
      myCtrl = $controller('myCtrl', {
        $scope: scope
      });
    });

  });

  it('should exist', function () {
    expect(!!myCtrl).toBe(true);
  });

  describe('when created', function () {
    // Add specs
  });

  describe('when destroyed', function () {
    // Add specs
  });
});

My controller should:

#####attach myThing to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should define a myThing property', ->
  expect(scope.myThing).toBeDefined()

// JavaScript
it('should define a myThing property', function () {
  expect(scope.myThing).toBeDefined();
});

#####attach myArray to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a myArray property', ->
  expect(scope.myArray instanceof Array).toBe true

// JavaScript
it('should provide a myArray property', function () {
  expect(scope.myArray instanceof Array).toBe(true);
});

#####attach myBoolean to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a boolean myBoolean property', ->
  expect(typeof scope.myBoolean).toBe 'boolean'

// JavaScript
it('should provide a boolean myBoolean property', function () {
  expect(typeof scope.myBoolean).toBe('boolean');
});

#####attach myDate to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a myDate property', ->
  expect(scope.myDate instanceof Date).toBe true

// JavaScript
it('should provide a myDate property', function () {
  expect(scope.myDate instanceof Date).toBe(true);
});

#####attach myMethod to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a myMethod function', ->
  expect(typeof scope.myMethod).toBe 'function'

// JavaScript
it('should provide a myMethod function', function () {
  expect(typeof scope.myMethod).toBe('function');
});

#####attach myNull to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a myNull property', ->
  expect(scope.myNull).toBe null

// JavaScript
it('should provide a myNull property', function () {
  expect(scope.myNull).toBe(null);
});

#####attach myNumber to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a myNumber property', ->
  expect(typeof scope.myNumber).toBe 'number'

// JavaScript
it('should provide a myNumber property', function () {
  expect(typeof scope.myNumber).toBe('number');
});

#####attach myObject to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a myObject property', ->
  expect(scope.myObject instanceof Object).toBe true

// JavaScript
it('should provide a myObject property', function () {
  expect(scope.myObject instanceof Object).toBe(true);
});

#####attach myRegExp to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a myRegExp property', ->
  expect(scope.myRegExp instanceof RegExp).toBe true

// JavaScript
it('should provide a myRegExp property', function () {
  expect(scope.myRegExp instanceof RegExp).toBe(true);
});

#####attach myString to the scope ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should provide a myString property', ->
  expect(typeof scope.myString).toBe 'string'

// JavaScript
it('should provide a myString property', function () {
  expect(typeof scope.myString).toBe('string');
});

#####expect myUndefined to be undefined ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should expect myUndefined to be undefined', ->
  expect(scope.myUndefined).not.toBeDefined()

// JavaScript
it('should expect myUndefined to be undefined', function () {
  expect(scope.myUndefined).not.toBeDefined();
});

#####myMethod should return expected value ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'myMethod should return expected value', ->
  result = scope.myMethod()
  expect(result).toBe('Not implemented')

// JavaScript
it('myMethod should return expected value', function () {
  var result = scope.myMethod();
  expect(result).toBe('Not implemented');
});

#####call myMethod2 on myCtrl ↑ Use to make sure one method is calling another.

# CoffeeScript
it 'should call myMethod2 from myMethod', ->
  # PULL REQUEST WELCOME!

// JavaScript
it('should call myMethod2 from myMethod', function () {
  // PULL REQUEST WELCOME!
});

#####call myMethod on mySvc ↑

# CoffeeScript
it 'should call myMethod on mySvc', ->
  expect(mySvc.myMethod.callCount).toBe 1
  expect(mySvc.myMethod).toHaveBeenCalledWith jasmine.any(Object)

// JavaScript
it('should call myMethod on mySvc', function () {
  expect(mySvc.myMethod.callCount).toBe(1);
  expect(mySvc.myMethod).toHaveBeenCalledWith(jasmine.any(Object));
});