Can't get waiting for function to return (with promises?) working in angular controller

Question

I'm trying to get the following findTimelineEntries function inside an Angular controller executing after saveInterview finishes:

$scope.saveInterview = function() {
        $scope.interviewForm.$save({employeeId: $scope.employeeId}, function() {
            $scope.findTimelineEntries();
        });
    };

The save action adds or edits data that also is part of the timeline entries and therefore I want the updated timeline entries to be shown. First I tried changing it to this:

$scope.saveInterview = function() {
        var functionReturned = $scope.interviewForm.$save({employeeId: $scope.employeeId});
        if (functionReturned) {
            $scope.findTimelineEntries();
        }
    };

Later to this:

$scope.saveInterview = function() {
        $scope.interviewForm.$save({employeeId: $scope.employeeId});
    };

    $scope.saveInterview.done(function(result) {
        $scope.findTimelineEntries();
    });

And finaly I found some info about promises so I tried this:

    $scope.saveInterview = function() {
        $scope.interviewForm.$save({employeeId: $scope.employeeId});
    };

    var promise = $scope.saveInterview();
    promise.done(function() {
        $scope.findTimelineEntries();
    });

But somehow the fact that it does work this way according to http://nurkiewicz.blogspot.nl/2013/03/promises-and-deferred-objects-in-jquery.html, doesn't mean that I can use the same method on those $scope.someFuntcion = function() functions :-S

Answer 1

Here is a sample using promises. First you'll need to include $q to your controller.

$scope.saveInterview = function() {
   var d = $q.defer();
   // do something that probably has a callback. 
   $scope.interviewForm.$save({employeeId: $scope.employeeId}).then(function(data) {
      d.resolve(data);  // assuming data is something you want to return. It could be true or anything you want.
   });


   return d.promise;

}