Angularjs: transclude directive template

Question

How to use transclusion in the below case. The intention is to use markup in the html (partials) file, than defining it in template (within the directive).

I found a great tree directive here. (source) Original: http://jsfiddle.net/n8dPm/

Instead of defining the template in the directive, I was trying to use a transcluded content. I also updated Angular to 1.2.0.rc2. Updated: http://jsfiddle.net/aZx7B/2/

got below error

TypeError: Property '$transclude' of object [object Object] is not a function

code:

module.directive("tree", function($compile) {
    return {
        restrict: "E",
        transclude: true,
        scope: {family: '='},
        template:       
            '<ul>' + 
                '<li ng-transclude></li>' +
                '<li ng-repeat="child in family.children">' +
                    '<tree family="child"></tree>' +
                '</li>' +
            '</ul>',
        compile: function(tElement, tAttr) {
            var contents = tElement.contents().remove();
            var compiledContents;
            return function(scope, iElement, iAttr) {
                if(!compiledContents) {
                    compiledContents = $compile(contents);
                }
                compiledContents(scope, function(clone, scope) {
                         iElement.append(clone); 
                });
            };
        }
    };
});

<div ng-app="myapp">
    <div ng-controller="TreeCtrl">
        <tree family="family">
            <p>{{ family.name }}</p>
        </tree>
    </div>
</div>

Edit:

With David's suggestion, made some changes. http://jsfiddle.net/aZx7B/3/ now, it prints, Parent. changing, family -> treeFamily didn't work though

Answer 1

You need to output the name of the family in the template as well: http://jsfiddle.net/roadprophet/DsvX6/

module.directive("tree", function($compile) {
    return {
        restrict: "E",
        transclude: true,
        scope: {family: '='},
        template:       
            '<ul>' + 
                '<li ng-transclude></li>' +
                '<li ng-repeat="child in family.children">' +
                    '<tree family="child">{{family.name}}</tree>' +
                '</li>' +
            '</ul>',
        compile: function(tElement, tAttr, transclude) {
            var contents = tElement.contents().remove();
            var compiledContents;
            return function(scope, iElement, iAttr) {
                if(!compiledContents) {
                    compiledContents = $compile(contents, transclude);
                }
                compiledContents(scope, function(clone, scope) {
                         iElement.append(clone); 
                });
            };
        }
    };
});

EDIT

You could also simplify by doing this: http://jsfiddle.net/roadprophet/DsvX6/2/

<div ng-app="myapp">
    <div ng-controller="TreeCtrl">
        <tree family="treeFamily">           
        </tree>
    </div>
</div>


module.directive("tree", function($compile) {
    return {
        restrict: "E",
        transclude: true,
        scope: {family: '='},
        template:       
            '<ul>' + 
                '<li ng-transclude></li>' +
                '<p>{{ family.name }}</p>' + 
                '<li ng-repeat="child in family.children">' +
                    '<tree family="child"></tree>' +
                '</li>' +
            '</ul>',
        compile: function(tElement, tAttr, transclude) {
            var contents = tElement.contents().remove();
            var compiledContents;
            return function(scope, iElement, iAttr) {
                if(!compiledContents) {
                    compiledContents = $compile(contents, transclude);
                }
                compiledContents(scope, function(clone, scope) {
                         iElement.append(clone); 
                });
            };
        }
    };
});

EDIT Same source of the problem though. No template being passed to the inner tree directive. http://jsfiddle.net/roadprophet/DsvX6/3/

<div ng-app="myapp">
    <div ng-controller="TreeCtrl">
        <tree family="treeFamily">           
                <p>{{ family.name }}</p>
        </tree>
    </div>
</div>

 template:       
            '<ul>' + 
                '<li ng-transclude></li>' +
                '<li ng-repeat="child in family.children">' +
                    '<tree family="child"><div ng-transclude></div></tree>' +
                '</li>' +
            '</ul>'

Answer 2

You want to compile the transcluded DOM against the parent scope; you can do this automatically with the injectable $transclude function in a directive's controller definition:

module.directive("tree", function($compile) {
  return {
    restrict: "E",
    transclude: true,
    scope: { family: '=' },
    template: '<ul>' + 
                '<li ng-repeat="child in family.children">' +
                  '<tree family="child">' +
                    '<p>{{ child.name }}</p>' +
                  '</tree>' +
                '</li>' +
              '</ul>',
    controller: function($element, $transclude) {
      $transclude(function(e) {
        $element.append(e);
      });
    },
    compile: function(tElement, tAttr, transclude) {
      var contents = tElement.contents().remove();
      var compiledContents;
      return function(scope, iElement, iAttr) {
        if(!compiledContents) {
          compiledContents = $compile(contents);
        }
        compiledContents(scope, function(clone) {
          iElement.append(clone);
        });
      };
    }
  };
});

This allows you to use the parent scope property treeFamily in your root template (also notice the use of child in the directive's template, above):

<div ng-app="myapp">
  <div ng-controller="TreeCtrl">
    <tree family="treeFamily">
      <p>{{ treeFamily.name }}</p>
    </tree>
  </div>
</div>

You can see an example here: http://jsfiddle.net/BinaryMuse/UzHeW/