How to create a directive with a dynamic template in AngularJS?

Question

How can I create a directive with a dynamic template?

'use strict';

app.directive('ngFormField', function($compile) {
return {
    transclude: true,
    scope: {
        label: '@'
    },
    template: '<label for="user_email">{{label}}</label>',
    // append
    replace: true,
    // attribute restriction
    restrict: 'E',
    // linking method
    link: function($scope, element, attrs) {
        switch (attrs['type']) {
            case "text":
                // append input field to "template"
            case "select":
                // append select dropdown to "template"
        }
    }
  }
});

<ng-form-field label="First Name" type="text"></ng-form-field>

This is what I have right now, and it is displaying the label correctly. However, I'm not sure on how to append additional HTML to the template. Or combining 2 templates into 1.

Answer 1

i've used the $templateCache to accomplish something similar. i put several ng-templates in a single html file, which i reference using the directive's templateUrl. that ensures the html is available to the template cache. then i can simply select by id to get the ng-template i want.

template.html:

<script type="text/ng-template" id=“foo”> foo </script>  <script type="text/ng-template" id=“bar”> bar </script> 

directive:

myapp.directive(‘foobardirective’, ['$compile', '$templateCache', function ($compile, $templateCache) {      var getTemplate = function(data) {         // use data to determine which template to use         var templateid = 'foo';         var template = $templateCache.get(templateid);         return template;     }      return {         templateUrl: 'views/partials/template.html',         scope: {data: '='},         restrict: 'E',         link: function(scope, element) {             var template = getTemplate(scope.data);              element.html(template);             $compile(element.contents())(scope);         }     }; }]); 

Answer 2

Had a similar need. $compile does the job. (Not completely sure if this is "THE" way to do it, still working my way through angular)

http://jsbin.com/ebuhuv/7/edit - my exploration test.

One thing to note (per my example), one of my requirements was that the template would change based on a type attribute once you clicked save, and the templates were very different. So though, you get the data binding, if need a new template in there, you will have to recompile.

Answer 3

You should move your switch into the template by using the 'ng-switch' directive:

module.directive('testForm', function() {
    return {
        restrict: 'E',
        controllerAs: 'form',
        controller: function ($scope) {
            console.log("Form controller initialization");
            var self = this;
            this.fields = {};
            this.addField = function(field) {
                console.log("New field: ", field);
                self.fields[field.name] = field;
            };
        }
    }
});

module.directive('formField', function () {
    return {
        require: "^testForm",
        template:
            '<div ng-switch="field.fieldType">' +
            '    <span>{{title}}:</span>' +
            '    <input' +
            '        ng-switch-when="text"' +
            '        name="{{field.name}}"' +
            '        type="text"' +
            '        ng-model="field.value"' +
            '    />' +
            '    <select' +
            '        ng-switch-when="select"' +
            '        name="{{field.name}}"' +
            '        ng-model="field.value"' +
            '        ng-options="option for option in options">' +
            '        <option value=""></option>' +
            '    </select>' +
            '</div>',
        restrict: 'E',
        replace: true,
        scope: {
            fieldType: "@",
            title: "@",
            name: "@",
            value: "@",
            options: "=",
        },
        link: function($scope, $element, $attrs, form) {
            $scope.field = $scope;
            form.addField($scope);
        }
    };
});

It can be use like this:

<test-form>
    <div>
        User '{{!form.fields.email.value}}' will be a {{!form.fields.role.value}}
    </div>
    <form-field title="Email" name="email" field-type="text" value="[email protected]"></form-field>
    <form-field title="Role" name="role" field-type="select" options="['Cook', 'Eater']"></form-field>
    <form-field title="Sex" name="sex" field-type="select" options="['Awesome', 'So-so', 'awful']"></form-field>
</test-form>