AngularJS : How to watch service variables?

Question

I have a service, say:

factory(\'aService\', [\'$rootScope\', \'$resource\', function ($rootScope, $resource) {
  var service = {
    foo: []
  };

  return          


        

Answer 1

I have written two simple utility services that help me track service properties changes.

If you want to skip the long explanation, you can go strait to jsfiddle

1. WatchObj

mod.service('WatchObj', ['$rootScope', WatchObjService]);

function WatchObjService($rootScope) {
  // returns watch function
  // obj: the object to watch for
  // fields: the array of fields to watch
  // target: where to assign changes (usually it's $scope or controller instance)
  // $scope: optional, if not provided $rootScope is use
  return function watch_obj(obj, fields, target, $scope) {
    $scope = $scope || $rootScope;
    //initialize watches and create an array of "unwatch functions"
    var watched = fields.map(function(field) {
      return $scope.$watch(
        function() {
          return obj[field];
        },
        function(new_val) {
          target[field] = new_val;
        }
      );
    });
    //unregister function will unregister all our watches
    var unregister = function unregister_watch_obj() {
      watched.map(function(unregister) {
        unregister();
      });
    };
    //automatically unregister when scope is destroyed
    $scope.$on('$destroy', unregister);
    return unregister;
  };
}

This service is used in the controller in the following way: Suppose you have a service "testService" with the properties 'prop1', 'prop2', 'prop3'. You want to watch and assign to scope 'prop1' and 'prop2'. With the watch service it will look like that:

app.controller('TestWatch', ['$scope', 'TestService', 'WatchObj', TestWatchCtrl]);

function TestWatchCtrl($scope, testService, watch) {
  $scope.prop1 = testService.prop1;
  $scope.prop2 = testService.prop2;
  $scope.prop3 = testService.prop3;
  watch(testService, ['prop1', 'prop2'], $scope, $scope);
}

2. apply Watch obj is great, but it is not enough if you have asynchronous code in your service. For that case, I use a second utility which looks like that:

mod.service('apply', ['$timeout', ApplyService]);

function ApplyService($timeout) {
  return function apply() {
    $timeout(function() {});
  };
}

I would trigger it in the end of my async code to trigger the $digest loop. Like that:

app.service('TestService', ['apply', TestService]);

function TestService(apply) {
  this.apply = apply;
}
TestService.prototype.test3 = function() {
  setTimeout(function() {
    this.prop1 = 'changed_test_2';
    this.prop2 = 'changed2_test_2';
    this.prop3 = 'changed3_test_2';
    this.apply(); //trigger $digest loop
  }.bind(this));
}

So, all of that together will look like that (you can run it or open fiddle):

// TEST app code

var app = angular.module('app', ['watch_utils']);

app.controller('TestWatch', ['$scope', 'TestService', 'WatchObj', TestWatchCtrl]);

function TestWatchCtrl($scope, testService, watch) {
  $scope.prop1 = testService.prop1;
  $scope.prop2 = testService.prop2;
  $scope.prop3 = testService.prop3;
  watch(testService, ['prop1', 'prop2'], $scope, $scope);
  $scope.test1 = function() {
    testService.test1();
  };
  $scope.test2 = function() {
    testService.test2();
  };
  $scope.test3 = function() {
    testService.test3();
  };
}

app.service('TestService', ['apply', TestService]);

function TestService(apply) {
  this.apply = apply;
  this.reset();
}
TestService.prototype.reset = function() {
  this.prop1 = 'unchenged';
  this.prop2 = 'unchenged2';
  this.prop3 = 'unchenged3';
}
TestService.prototype.test1 = function() {
  this.prop1 = 'changed_test_1';
  this.prop2 = 'changed2_test_1';
  this.prop3 = 'changed3_test_1';
}
TestService.prototype.test2 = function() {
  setTimeout(function() {
    this.prop1 = 'changed_test_2';
    this.prop2 = 'changed2_test_2';
    this.prop3 = 'changed3_test_2';
  }.bind(this));
}
TestService.prototype.test3 = function() {
  setTimeout(function() {
    this.prop1 = 'changed_test_2';
    this.prop2 = 'changed2_test_2';
    this.prop3 = 'changed3_test_2';
    this.apply();
  }.bind(this));
}
//END TEST APP CODE

//WATCH UTILS
var mod = angular.module('watch_utils', []);

mod.service('apply', ['$timeout', ApplyService]);

function ApplyService($timeout) {
  return function apply() {
    $timeout(function() {});
  };
}

mod.service('WatchObj', ['$rootScope', WatchObjService]);

function WatchObjService($rootScope) {
  // target not always equals $scope, for example when using bindToController syntax in 
  //directives
  return function watch_obj(obj, fields, target, $scope) {
    // if $scope is not provided, $rootScope is used
    $scope = $scope || $rootScope;
    var watched = fields.map(function(field) {
      return $scope.$watch(
        function() {
          return obj[field];
        },
        function(new_val) {
          target[field] = new_val;
        }
      );
    });
    var unregister = function unregister_watch_obj() {
      watched.map(function(unregister) {
        unregister();
      });
    };
    $scope.$on('$destroy', unregister);
    return unregister;
  };
}

  prop1: {{prop1}}
  
prop2: {{prop2}}
  
prop3 (unwatched): {{prop3}}
  

  
    Simple props change
  
  
    Async props change
  
  
    Async props change with apply