How to do $scope.$apply() with the new `controller as` syntax?

Question

In AngularJS they have $scope.$apply() method to update the UI when there's a model change that is not done through normal AngularJS means.

In the more recent tutorials they recommend using the <controller> as <object> style of instantiating the objects and use this as the scope from their example

.controller('TodoListController', function() {
var todoList = this;

However todoList.$apply() does not appear to work. Am I forced to use $scope.$apply() for this?

Answer 1

Yes you have to use $scope.$apply(), but that's not a bad thing.

I had this same exact dilemma after reading that one should use controllerAs syntax. I even asked this question a few months later In an isolate scope directive is there any difference between defining variables on scope and defining variables on the controller?

The answer, after thinking about this for a while, is that controllerAs syntax doesn't mean an aversion to $scope, but a design pattern to prevent global state from being stored in $scope because that's when you start nesting scopes, which leads to a lot of problems.

$scope isn't an evil thing. It just lets you screw yourself over, but if you need to use it you shouldn't stop yourself from doing so.