How do I get a null response from a $resource?

$resource.get method, by default, expects the JSON response to be an object (when parsed).When calling $resource.get(), the result is going to be an instance of the $resource.

In your example, calling Member.get({id:1}) will produce a $resource instance that is created by calling new Member() ^source and then populated ^source (when XHR is completed) with properties of the parsed JSON response:

shallowClearAndCopy(data, value);

The signature of the function with which your Member instance is populated is as follows:

function shallowClearAndCopy(src, dst) {  dst = dst || {};  angular.forEach(dst, function(value, key){    delete dst[key];  });  for (var key in src) {    if (src.hasOwnProperty(key) && key.charAt(0) !== '$' && key.charAt(1) !== '$') {      dst[key] = src[key];    }  }  return dst;}

Glancing the function body you will realise that the function does not expect src parameter to be anything else but object (for (var key in src) { ...). So, if you provide it with string "null" the result will be:

{1: "n", 2: "u", 3: "l", ...}

ngResource is built to support a RESTfull API with JSON as an implied data transfer format, hence you won't be able to use responses such as "null" or anything else which isn't a valid JSON.

Unless you make use of transformResponse to convert "null" to something like {'null': true} on the fly:

app.factory('Member', function($resource) {  var Member = $resource('member.txt', {}, {    get: {      method: 'GET',      isArray: false,      transformResponse: function(data, headersGetter){        if(data === 'null'){          return {null: true};        }        return angular.fromJson(data);      }    }  });  return Member;});$scope.member = Member.get({id: 1});console.log($scope.member); // --> {null: true}

DEMO

Your code looks fine. But seeing this kind of output in the console is a pain in the -muted-. One wants to fix it right away, setting any options for result formats, changing urls, http/https // fiddling etc.

But the thing is

Calling a URL which is not allowed, because the user is not logged in.

One expects a nice 403 so $resources fault handler executes.

This way your result handler does not execute at all ;)

Member.current = Member.get; //note removed () here// then outside call:Member.current(  function(result) {    // should not execute for 403  },   function(fault) {    // TODO: handle case: 'user not logged in'  });