CODEWITHSUNDEEP
angularjsangularjs-directive
m0meni
m0meni

Reputation: 16445

Can controllers be completely replaced by the link function in a directive?

I was reading through this article:

http://teropa.info/blog/2014/10/24/how-ive-improved-my-angular-apps-by-banning-ng-controller.html

Which proposes that controllers be integrated into directives like this in order to remove the need to ever use ng-controller:

angular.module('contestantEditor', [])
  .directive('cContestantEditorForm', function() {
    return {
      scope: {
        contestants: '='
      },
      templateUrl: 'contestant_editor.html',
      replace: true,
      controller: 'ContestantEditorFormCtrl',
      controllerAs: 'ctrl',
      bindToController: true
    };
  })
  .controller('ContestantEditorFormCtrl', function($scope) {

    this.contestant = {};

    this.save = function() {
      this.contestants.push(this.contestant);
      this.contestant = {};
    };

  });

In the comments, however, someone else proposed this solution:

angular.module('contestantEditor', [])
  .directive('cContestantEditorForm', function () {
    return {
      scope: {
        contestants: '='
      },
      templateUrl: 'contestant_editor.html',
      replace: true,
      link: function (scope) {
        scope.contestant = {};

        scope.save = function() {
          scope.contestants.push(scope.contestant);
          scope.contestant = {};
        };
      }
    };
  });

It achieves the exact same thing as the version with the controller without ever needing to make a controller. So I'm curious as to what the pros and cons of either method are versus writing angular traditionally with ng-controller, and whether controllers are even necessary by the end of it.

Here is the plunker for the first, and here is the second.

Upvotes: 6

Views: 1192

Answers (2)

JobaDiniz
JobaDiniz

Reputation: 1013

In directives, you should use link function whenever you can. Use controllers only when communication to other directives is needed.

You can find more about this discussion here. Specifically this best practice statement:

Best Practice: use controller when you want to expose an API to other directives. Otherwise use link.

Upvotes: 4

Narek Mamikonyan
Narek Mamikonyan

Reputation: 4611

Directives and Controllers are two totally different things.

Direvtives should be used for DOM manipulations.

if you want to know use controller inside DDO or use link function for your logic, then answer will be you should use controller in DDO in that cases when you want provide API and require your directive in other directives and use that API in extended directive

Controllers can't be replaced by directive

Controller should contain your businesses logic and it cant be replaced by directive and shouldn't have DOM manipulations.

Upvotes: -1

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