Angular ngResource sample

service.js

angular.module("exampleApp", []).service('exampleService', ["$http", "$q" ,function ($http, $q) {
    var service = {
        returnedData: [],
        dataLoaded:{},
        getData = function(forceRefresh)
        {
            var deferred = $q.defer();

            if(!service.dataLoaded.genericData || forceRefresh)
            {
                $http.get("/api/something").success(function(data){
                    //service.returnedData = data;
                    //As Mark mentions in the comments below the line above could be replaced by
                    angular.copy(data, service.returnedData)
                    //if the intention of the watch is just to update the data
                    //in which case the watch is unnecessary and data can
                    //be passed directly from the service to the controller
                    service.dataLoaded.genericData = true;
                    deferred.resolve(service.returnedData);
                });
            }
            else
            {
                deferred.resolve(service.returnedData);
            }

            return deferred.promise;
        },
        addSomeData:function(someDataToAdd)
        {
            $http.post("api/something", someDataToAdd).success(function(data){
                service.getData(true);
            });
        }
    };
    service.getData();
    return service;
}]).controller("ExampleCtrl", ["$scope", "exampleService", function($scope, exampleService){
  //$scope.$watch(function() {return exampleService.returnedData}, function(returnedData){
  //  $scope.myModel.someData = returnedData;
  //});
  //if not using angular.copy() in service just use watch above
  $scope.myModel.someData = exampleService.returnedData;
}]);