Resolve with $state throws unknown provider - angularjs

Question

I'm using ui-router to handle my apps states. I need to use resolve to ensure that a settings value is there when the controller is loaded. I started by making a very simple dummy:
.state('dashboard', {
url: '/dashboard',
resolve: {
simpleObj: function(){
return {value: 'simple!'};
}
},
controller: 'DashboardController',
template: '<dashboard></dashboard>',
});
In the controller I inject this like I would any other dependency:
angular
.module('flowlens')
.controller('DashboardController', DashboardController);
DashboardController.$inject = ['simpleObj'];
function DashboardController(simpleObj){
var vm = this;
activate();
function activate(){}
}
However this throws an unknown provider error on the simpleObj This code is based on the example code on the ui-router git repo so it should work.
According to others this typically happens when you use ng-controller on your template but my template contains no such thing:
%h2 Dashboard
%hr
%pre {{ $root.currentUser | json }}
.card.card-block
%my-input{type: "contact", model: "selected_contact", placeholder: "Choose Contact", allow-new: "true"}
Selected:
%pre {{ selected_contact | json }}
%h2 Settings {{ $root.settings }}
There should be no need to use deferred to resolve this promise as it's just returning a simple value - correct?
What's the issue here?
EDIT Heres a plunkr detailing what's going on.
Thanks to imbalind for the help. Here's an updated plunkr of it working. Check the console to see the value getting printed.

Answer 1

The problem is that you referenced the DashboardController twice in two different places:
inside the $stateProvider, where you add a resolve for simpleObj.
inside dashboard directive, where it cannot have a clue about what simpleObj is.
The error (IMHO) is having the same controller used for different things. You should have two different controllers.
If you need to access simpleObj from both of them you should think about making a service out of it.
EDIT: Here's your plunker edited so to avoid the error. Logic is missing.