Return value from angularjs factory - angularjs

Question

I try to set up this example https://github.com/AngularClass/angular-websocket#usage
Here is my code
App.factory('MyData', function($websocket, $q) {
var dataStream = $websocket('wss://url');
var collection = [];
dataStream.onMessage(function(message) {
var result = JSON.parse(message.data);
console.log(result);
collection = result;
});
var methods = {
collection: collection,
get: function() {
dataStream.send(JSON.stringify({
api: "volume",
date: "2017-02-01",
interval: 600
}));
}
};
return methods; });
In my controller I wrote:
$interval(function () {
console.log(MyData.collection);
}, 1000);
The problem is that I don't receive any values, however on message arrive I see console log, so websocket itself is obviously alive. If I change collection.push(result) (like in example) I receive constantly growing array. I need only the last value, however. Why collection = result is wrong ?

Answer 1

var collection = []; instantiates a new array and its reference is stored in the variable collection. Then, this reference is assigned to methods.collection and, hence, MyData.collection. However, with JSON.parse a new array is instantiated. collection = result; overwrites the original reference with the reference of the new array. But MyData.collection still holds the reference to original array.
So, there are two ways to encounter the problem:
Don't overwrite the reference to the original array. push is good, but before, you need to clear the array in order to only show the last value.
collection.splice(0, collection.length);
collection.push(result);
However, that would be an array in an array. You probably need to push the values individually (Array.concat will create a new array, too):
collection.splice(0, collection.length);
result.forEach(function(value) {
collection.push(value);
});
Assign the reference of the new array directly to methods.collection. In this case, no extra variable collection is needed.
App.factory('MyData', function($websocket, $q) {
var dataStream = $websocket('wss://url');
var methods = {
collection: [],
get: function() {
dataStream.send(JSON.stringify({
api: "volume",
date: "2017-02-01",
interval: 600
}));
}
};
dataStream.onMessage(function(message) {
var result = JSON.parse(message.data);
console.log(result);
methods.collection = result;
});
return methods;
});