Undefined variable $http request

Question

I'm performing a GET - request on my back end to retrieve some JSON - data. I want to store a part of the data in a variable because I want to use it after the request. But everytime, the variable is undefined while I did the same thing in another controller. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

This is the code:

 var itemNumber;
 $http.get(URLtoServer + 'serialNumber/' + $stateParams.serialNumber + '/?format=json').success(function(dataSerialNumber){
      itemNumber = dataSerialNumber.id;
    }).error(function(){
      //code
    });

    console.log(itemNumber);
    item.number = itemNumber;

EDIT POST CALL:

var postPromise = $http.post(URLtoServer + 'problem/', item);

  postPromise.success(function (response) {
    angular.extend(item, response);
    showIssueReportedAlert($mdDialog); 

    $http.get('assets/settings/general.json').success(function(data){
      companyURL = data[0].url;

      $timeout(function(){
        //$window.location.href = companyURL;
      }, 3000);
    });         
  });

  postPromise.error(function(){
    showErrorAlert($mdDialog);

    $scope.renderSendbutton = true;
    $scope.showProgressCircular = false;
  });

Isn't $http.get asynchronous? If so you may be triing to access it before it is assigned. — Robert, May 15 '15 at 05:54
`$http` is async so JS doesnot wait for it to complete and execute the next line which is the `console.log`, hence you get `itemnumber` as undefined. Whatever code depends on itemnumber, keep it inside `.success`. — Zee, May 15 '15 at 05:55
possible duplicate of [How to return the response from an asynchronous call?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14220321/how-to-return-the-response-from-an-asynchronous-call) — JLRishe, May 15 '15 at 05:58

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered May 15 '15 at 05:55

2

You're doing an async get request, which returns immediately, and then assigning the itemNumber (which is undefined at the moment since the get request hasn't finished) to your item.number.

You need to do the assignment in the callback:

 var itemNumber;
 $http.get(URLtoServer + 'serialNumber/' + $stateParams.serialNumber + '/?format=json').success(function(dataSerialNumber){
      itemNumber = dataSerialNumber.id;

       console.log(itemNumber);
       item.number = itemNumber; 
    }).error(function(){
      //code
    });

answered May 15 '15 at 05:55

Omri Aharon

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after this get request, I do a POST - request to the backend and the "item.number" is still undefined – Jesper May 15 '15 at 06:02
You'll need to share that code as well then so we could see what's wrong. – Omri Aharon May 15 '15 at 06:05
I have edited this question, you will find the POST-request code there – Jesper May 15 '15 at 06:08

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered May 15 '15 at 06:15

You can put your POST $http call inside a function and call it in the .success of the GET.

 var itemNumber;
 $http.get(URLtoServer + 'serialNumber/' + $stateParams.serialNumber + '/?format=json').success(function(dataSerialNumber){
      itemNumber = dataSerialNumber.id;

       console.log(itemNumber);
       item.number = itemNumber; 
       doPostCallNow(); //Calling the POST 
    }).error(function(){
      //code
    });

function doPostCallNow(){
    var postPromise = $http.post(URLtoServer + 'problem/', item); 
    //And rest of your code...
}

Undefined variable $http request

2 Answers2