Use of '#' in angular resource - am I doing it wrong? - angularjs

Question

Here's my resource:
.factory('Posting', ['$resource', function ($resource) {
return $resource('api/Postings/:action/:arg', {}, {
findByParent: { method: 'GET', params: { action: 'parent', arg: '#guid' }, isArray: true },
findByReference: { method: 'GET', params: { action: 'reference', arg: '#reference' }, isArray: true }
});
}]);
In my controller I'm using my resource as this:
Posting.findByParent({ guid: parent_guid },
function (success) {
...
},
function (error) {
...
});
This returns the URL /parent?guid=0ff646e9-4397-4654-b8d2-118c6258023a
However, using my resource like this:
Posting.findByParent({ arg: parent_guid },
function (success) {
...
},
function (error) {
...
});
Gives me the correct URL: /parent/0ff646e9-4397-4654-b8d2-118c6258023a
I thought the point with using an '#' was to give parameters better names?
I'm also wondering if I still should use $resource even tho my API isn't really RESTful.
Is it better to give my custom (unRESTful) functions their own URL? Something like:
findByParent: { method: 'GET', url: 'api/Postings/parent/:guid', params { guid: '#guid' }, isArray:true }

Answer 1

By default, if you define a parameter on the path (like you did with arg), and you pass in an object that has a matching key, like in the second example, that key will be used to resolve the path.
If however, there are no matching parameter, the keys of the object passed in will resolve to query parameters, like in the first example.
To set custom default resolves, you need to specify them in the second argument to resource, like this:
.factory('Posting', ['$resource', function ($resource) {
return $resource('api/Postings/:action/:arg',
{
action: '#action',
arg: '#guid'
},
{
findByParent: { method: 'GET', params: { action: 'parent' }, isArray: true },
findByReference: { method: 'GET', params: { action: 'reference' }, isArray: true }
});
}]);
This should make action resolve to what is specified in findByParent and findByReference, and arg to whatever value is passed in for key guid.
You could experiment with setting an # in the respective methods 'guid' property, but for your usecase, it does not seem to be necessary.
to answer your second question: you can specify several parameter controllers on a single path element (level). The only condition is that you don't use / specify resolutions for more than one of them in a single method. That is, you could do api/Postings/:action:anotherController/:arg, as long as you would specify resolutions for :action and :anotherController in separate methods.
Please find this awesome post by Ben Nadel http://www.bennadel.com/blog/2433-using-restful-controllers-in-an-angularjs-resource.htm with an example use