example of unit testing the controller within a directive

unit-test.js

describe('Common: recordDirective', function() {

	var $scope, $stateParams, $state, $compile, $q, element, makeHtml;

	// each test in this file MUST call this method
	// to customize var form and var $scope for itself
	makeHtml = function(nonClickable) {

		// $scope = $scope.$new();

		var nonClickableClause = '';

		if (nonClickable) {

			nonClickableClause = 'non-clickable';

		}

		element = angular.element(
			'<record '+nonClickableClause+'></record>'
		);

		return $compile(element)($scope);

	};

	beforeEach(function() {

		module('NgpApp');
		module('templates');

		module(function($provide) {

			$provide.value('sessionState', sessionState = {});

		});

		module(function($urlRouterProvider) {

			$urlRouterProvider.deferIntercept();

		});

	});

	beforeEach(function() {

		inject(function(_$rootScope_, _$state_, _$stateParams_, _$compile_, _$q_) {

			$scope 			= _$rootScope_;
			$stateParams 	= _$stateParams_;
			$state 			= _$state_;
			$compile 		= _$compile_;
			$q 				= _$q_;

		});

		var pingDefer = $q.defer();
		pingDefer.resolve();

		// nearly every test uses these:
		sessionState.ping = jasmine.createSpy('ping').andReturn(pingDefer.promise);

	});


	it('should set $scope.nonClickable to false when not passed in', function() {

		var element = makeHtml();
		$scope.$digest();

		expect(element.scope().nonClickable).toBeFalsy();

	});


	it('should set $scope.nonClickable to true when passed in', function() {

		var element = makeHtml(true);
		$scope.$digest();

		expect(element.scope().nonClickable).toBeTruthy();

	});


});