chore(widget): make controller more functional, and improve test description

[andrewedstrom]

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Related Issues

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Checklist

• [x] I have tested these changes locally and they work as expected.
• [x] I have added or updated tests to cover any new functionality or bug fixes.
• [ ] I have updated the documentation to reflect any changes or additions to the project.
• [x] I have followed the project's code of conduct and conventions for commit messages.

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