As a newcomer to Angular, I have created an 'Employee Search' Service module. Let's take a look at the code:

// Employee Search Service
app.service('employeeSearchService', function($http, resourceServerAddress){
    this.empList = [];

    // Method to clear the employee search list
    this.clearEmpList = function(){
        this.empList = [];
    }

    // Method to fetch the employee search list
    this.fetchEmpList = function(){
        return this.empList;
    }

    // Method to perform an employee search
    this.searchEmpList = function(empName){
        var postData = {
                    empName:empName,
                };

        $http({
            method: 'POST',
            url: resourceServerAddress,
            data : postData
        }).then(function successCallback(response) {
            console.log('Response Data : '+response);

            if(response['data']['status'] === 'success'){
                console.log('Response received successfully with status=success');

                if(response['data']['data'].length)
                {
                    console.log('matches found for employee search');
                    this.empList = response;
                }
                else
                {
                    console.log('no matches found for employee search');
                    this.empList = [];
                }
            }

            if(response['data']['status'] === 'error'){
                console.log('Response received successfully with status=error');
            }

        }, function errorCallback(response) {
            console.log('Error occur at time of processing request');
        });
    }
});

Next, in my Controller, I am using the following code to retrieve data from the Service module.

employeeSearchService.searchEmpList(empName);
empSearchResponseList = employeeSearchService.fetchEmpList();
console.log('Data received from server module : '+empSearchResponseList);

While I can see the data and console messages from the service module in Chrome console, I am unable to capture that data in the Controller variable.

I suspect that the way I am using 'searchEmpList()' & 'fetchEmpList()' in my controller may not be correct. I am struggling to find out how to modify it.

Seeking some guidance!

--- Updated Controller Code ---

// Controller for application Home route
app.controller("HomeController", function($scope, $state, $location, $ionicHistory, $ionicSideMenuDelegate, $http, resourceServerAddress, employeeSearchService) {

    console.log('At home controller');

    // Check application session. If none exists, redirect user to login page
    if(window.localStorage.getItem("access_token") === "undefined" || window.localStorage.getItem("access_token") === null) {
        $ionicHistory.nextViewOptions({
            disableAnimate: true,
            disableBack: true
        });

        console.log('Redirecting user to login page');
        $state.go("login");
    }

    $scope.empName               = '';
    $scope.alertMsgBox           = false;
    $scope.alertMsgText          = '';
    $scope.employees             = [];
    $scope.resourceServerAddress = resourceServerAddress;

    var empSearchResponseList=null;

    // Method for searching employees
    $scope.searchEmployee = function(form){
        console.log('Employee name entered : '+$scope.empName);
        console.log('Length of employee name : '+$scope.empName.length);

        if($scope.empName.length >= 3 ){

            var postData = {
                    Emp_Name:$scope.empName,
                    access_token:window.localStorage.getItem('access_token'),
                    session_id:window.localStorage.getItem('session_id')
                };

            $http({
                method: 'POST',
                url: resourceServerAddress,
                data : postData
            }).then(function successCallback(response) {
                console.log('Response Data : '+response);

                if(response['data']['status'] === 'success'){
                    console.log('Response received successfully with status=success');

                    if(response['data']['data'].length)
                    {
                        console.log('matches found for employee search');
                        $scope.employees   = response['data']['data'];
                        $scope.alertMsgBox = false;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        console.log('no matches found for employee search');
                        $scope.alertMsgBox  = true;
                        $scope.employees    = [];
                        $scope.alertMsgText = 'No matches found.';
                    }
                }

                if(response['data']['status'] === 'error'){
                    console.log('Response received successfully with status=error');
                }

            }, function errorCallback(response) {
                console.log('Error occur at time of processing request');
            });
        }
    }


    // Method to display employee profile
    $scope.showEmpProfile = function(empId){
        console.log('Clicked on profile image of employee ID : '+empId);

        // Redirect to home page
        $state.go('app.emp-profile', {empId:empId});
    }
});