Unsure on how to successfully test this function using $httBackend - angularjs

Question

This is the function in the controller:
var vm = this;
vm.getData = getData;
function getData(val) {
return $http.get('/get-data', {
params: {
query: val
}
}).then(function(response) {
return response.data;
});
}
and this is my (stripped down) test file:
describe('Controller: MyCtrl', function() {
'use strict';
var MyCtrl;
var rootScope;
var scope;
var httpMock;
beforeEach(function() {
module('MyModule');
inject(function($controller, $rootScope, $httpBackend) {
rootScope = $rootScope;
scope = $rootScope.$new();
httpMock = $httpBackend;
MyCtrl = $controller('MyCtrl as vm', {
$rootScope: rootScope,
$scope: scope,
$http: httpMock,
});
});
});
describe('vm.getData()', function() {
it('returns the required data', function() {
httpMock.when('GET', '/get-data?query=test-val').respond(200, {data: 'test-data'});
httpMock.flush();
expect(scope.vm.getData('test-val')).toEqual('test-data');
});
});
});
I would like to test that the result if calling getData() return the correct data.
Currently I'm getting the error $http.get is not a function. Setting a breakpoint in my function shows that http is stubbed with $httpBackend though.
I think there is something fundamental I'm not grasping - any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

You shouldn't have to create the controller with:
$http: $httpBackend
to mock the backend. $httpBackend will mock the request itself already.
Further the test and assertion is done in the wrong order:
httpMock.when('GET', '/get-data?query=test-val').respond(200, {data: 'test-data'});
MyCtrl.getData('test-val').then(function(_result_){ //perform the request
result = _result_; //save the result of the promise
});
httpMock.flush(); //execute the request
expect(result).toBe('test-data'); //assert that the result is as expected