Unit test failing when function called on startup

Question

This is an extension off a former question of mine: $httpBackend in AngularJs Jasmine unit test

In my controller, the getStuff function is called on startup. This causes my unit test to fail. When I comment it out, my unit tests pass and work successfully. When uncommented, the error is:

Error: Unexpected request: GET /api/stuff No more request expected

My controller is:

$scope.stuff = [];
$scope.getStuff = function () {
    var url = site.root + 'api/stuff';
    $http.get(url)
        .success(function (data) {
            $scope.stuff = data;
        })
        .error(function(error) {
            console.log(error);
        });
};
//$scope.getStuff();

and my unit test is:

it('should get stuff', function () {
    var url = '/api/stuff';
    var httpResponse = [{ "stuffId": 1 }, { "stuffId": 2 }];
    httpLocalBackend.expectGET(url).respond(200, httpResponse);
    $scope.getStuff();
    httpLocalBackend.flush();
    expect($scope.stuff.length).toBe(2);
} );

Everything unit test wise, works fine like this. Unfortunately, this breaks the actual site functionality. When I uncomment the last line of the controller, the unit test breaks, and the site works. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

FIXED: Thanks to fiskers7's answer, this is my solution.

it('should get stuff', function () {
    var url = '/api/stuff';
    var httpResponse = [{ "stuffId": 1 }, { "stuffId": 2 }];
    httpLocalBackend.expectGET(url).respond(200, httpResponse);
    httpLocalBackend.expectGET(url).respond(200, httpResponse);
    $scope.getStuff();
    httpLocalBackend.flush();
    expect($scope.stuff.length).toBe(2);
} );

When you create the controller it makes a call to 'api/stuff' and when you call $scope.getStuff() in your test you call it again. So instead of one call to 'api/stuff' you have two which is what the error is saying. httpBackend didn't expect two calls to the endpoint, only one so it throws the error. — fiskers7
@fiskers7 Wowwww..... you're correct. I added a second "httpLocalBackend.expectGET(url).respond(200, httpResponse);" right after the first and it fixed it. That's good enough for my tests and hopefully this helps someone else too. If you post this as an answer I'll accept it. — Timothy

fiskers7 fiskers7 · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-11T18:31:33

Verbatim from my comment:

When you create the controller it makes a call to 'api/stuff' and when you call $scope.getStuff() in your test you call it again. So instead of one call to 'api/stuff' you have two which is what the error is saying. httpBackend didn't expect two calls to the endpoint, only one so it throws the error.

Code example from my comment to this answer if you need to see it.

it('should get stuff', function () {
  var url = '/api/stuff';
  var httpResponse = [{ "stuffId": 1 }, { "stuffId": 2 }];
  httpLocalBackend.expectGET(url).respond(200, httpResponse);
  httpLocalBackend.flush();
  expect($scope.stuff.length).toBe(2); 
});

Unit test failing when function called on startup

1 Answers