HOW TO: Angular Factory method declared in a JavaScript object?

Question

I have some code like this:

(function() {
    'use strict';

    angular.module('outApp.core')
        .factory('socket', socketDataService);

    function socketDataService() {

        var service = {
            openSocket: openSocket,
            closeSocket: closeSocket,
            getUpdates: getUpdates,
            sendUpdates: sendUpdates,
        };

        return service;

        function openSocket() {
            var contextPath = document.location.href.split('/#')[0];
            var sock = new SockJS(contextPath + '/api/cart');
            var stompClient = Stomp.over(sock);

            stompClient.connect({}, function(frame) {
                console.log('Connected ' + frame);
                stompClient.subscribe("/app/cart", {}, { customerId: "4654654", cartId: "54654" });
            });
        }

There are other named functions as shown in the JS object named service at the beginning but I'm excluding them for brevity.

I am trying to grant access to the functions I mentioned in the service object using a factory constructor that should be injectable and therefore accessible in our entire app.

I have two questions: Is this the correct way to define and return the methods?

I know I can define:

var service.method = function () {
     //do stuff
}
var service.anothermethod = function () {
     // do other stuff
}
return service;

but for clarity, readability and style we have chosen to do it this way. I have seen another developer do it the first way but I'm not clear on what is going on.

Next question: how can I access and thus test these methods within the function? I set a debugger at the end of the factory but I am not able to see the methods in the console.

Thanks!

There are several js issues in your code. You define a function after returning, and you mix variable declaration and property setting — Valentin Waeselynck, Mar 04 '15 at 21:48
There's nothing that forbids returning before defining a function that way actually. It works fine. Although it's generally not the best idea. — jlowcs, Mar 04 '15 at 21:51
Is this a service or factory you are trying to do? There's a difference between the two. Check out here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14324451/angular-service-vs-angular-factory — pmac89, Mar 04 '15 at 21:54

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 04 '15 at 21:50

Doing this:

function foo() {
    bar();

    function bar () {
        [...]
    }
}

Is basically the same thing as doing this:

function foo() {
    var bar = function () {
        [...]
    };

    bar();
}

A function is just a type of object that you can assign, pass as an argument to others functions, etc. Don't think about is as a method like in Java.

The 2 ways you're mentioning are both fine. although there is no "var" in the 2nd way:

service.method = function () {
    //do stuff
};

You're just setting a property of the object, the same way you would with an int:

service.foo = 42;

Other than that, I'm not sure about what you're asking.

HOW TO: Angular Factory method declared in a JavaScript object?

1 Answers1