How can I dynamically add a directive in AngularJS?

Question

You have a lot of pointless jQuery in there, but the $compile service is actually super simple in this case:

.directive( 'test', function ( $compile ) {
  return {
    restrict: 'E',
    scope: { text: '@' },
    template: '<p ng-click="add()">{{text}}</p>',
    controller: function ( $scope, $element ) {
      $scope.add = function () {
        var el = $compile( "<test text='n'></test>" )( $scope );
        $element.parent().append( el );
      };
    }
  };
});

You'll notice I refactored your directive too in order to follow some best practices. Let me know if you have questions about any of those.

In addition to perfect Riceball LEE's example of adding a new element-directive

newElement = $compile("<div my-directive='n'></div>")($scope)
$element.parent().append(newElement)

Adding a new attribute-directive to existed element could be done using this way:

Let's say you wish to add on-the-fly my-directive to the span element.

template: '<div>Hello <span>World</span></div>'

link: ($scope, $element, $attrs) ->

  span = $element.find('span').clone()
  span.attr('my-directive', 'my-directive')
  span = $compile(span)($scope)
  $element.find('span').replaceWith span

Hope that helps.

Dynamically adding directives on angularjs has two styles:

Add an angularjs directive into another directive

• inserting a new element(directive)
• inserting a new attribute(directive) to element

inserting a new element(directive)

it's simple. And u can use in "link" or "compile".

var newElement = $compile( "<div my-diretive='n'></div>" )( $scope );
$element.parent().append( newElement );

inserting a new attribute to element

It's hard, and make me headache within two days.

Using "$compile" will raise critical recursive error!! Maybe it should ignore the current directive when re-compiling element.

$element.$set("myDirective", "expression");
var newElement = $compile( $element )( $scope ); // critical recursive error.
var newElement = angular.copy(element);          // the same error too.
$element.replaceWith( newElement );

So, I have to find a way to call the directive "link" function. It's very hard to get the useful methods which are hidden deeply inside closures.

compile: (tElement, tAttrs, transclude) ->
   links = []
   myDirectiveLink = $injector.get('myDirective'+'Directive')[0] #this is the way
   links.push myDirectiveLink
   myAnotherDirectiveLink = ($scope, $element, attrs) ->
       #....
   links.push myAnotherDirectiveLink
   return (scope, elm, attrs, ctrl) ->
       for link in links
           link(scope, elm, attrs, ctrl)       

Now, It's work well.

function addAttr(scope, el, attrName, attrValue) {
  el.replaceWith($compile(el.clone().attr(attrName, attrValue))(scope));
}

The accepted answer by Josh David Miller works great if you are trying to dynamically add a directive that uses an inline template. However if your directive takes advantage of templateUrl his answer will not work. Here is what worked for me:

.directive('helperModal', [, "$compile", "$timeout", function ($compile, $timeout) {
    return {
        restrict: 'E',
        replace: true,
        scope: {}, 
        templateUrl: "app/views/modal.html",
        link: function (scope, element, attrs) {
            scope.modalTitle = attrs.modaltitle;
            scope.modalContentDirective = attrs.modalcontentdirective;
        },
        controller: function ($scope, $element, $attrs) {
            if ($attrs.modalcontentdirective != undefined && $attrs.modalcontentdirective != '') {
                var el = $compile($attrs.modalcontentdirective)($scope);
                $timeout(function () {
                    $scope.$digest();
                    $element.find('.modal-body').append(el);
                }, 0);
            }
        }
    }
}]);