Using expression `("&")` binding to pass data from AngularJS component to parent scope

Question

Can't access controller scope from angular component output binding function

I'm trying to access my home controller scope from dashboard component but it's undefined.

I also tried a second approach but then my function variable is undefined.

I'm using Angular 1.5 with Typescript

FIRST APPROACH:

Home controller HTML:

<div class="home-container">
    <dashboard-component on-tile-type-changed="HomeCtrl.onTileTypeChanged">
    </dashboard-component>
</div>

Home controller js:

namespace app.dashboard {
    'use strict';

    class HomeController {
        static $inject:Array<string> = ['$window'];

        constructor(private $window:ng.IWindowService) {

        }

        private onTileTypeChanged(tile:ITile) {
            console.log(tile); // DEFINED AND WORKING
            console.log(this); // NOT DEFINED
        }
    }

    angular
        .module('app.dashboard')
        .controller('HomeController', HomeController);
}

Dashboard controller js:

angular.module('app.dashboard')
    .component('dashboardComponent', {
        templateUrl: 'app/dashboard/directives/dashboard-container.html',
        controller: DashboardComponent,
        controllerAs: 'DashboardCtrl',
        bindings: {
            onTileTypeChanged: "&"
        }
    });

this.onTileTypeChanged()(tile);

SECOND APPROACH:

Home controller HTML:

<div class="home-container">
    <dashboard-component on-tile-type-changed="HomeCtrl.onTileTypeChanged()">
    </dashboard-component>
</div>

Dashboard controller js:

this.onTileTypeChanged(tile);

And here I'm getting the opposite:

private onTileTypeChanged(tile:ITile) {
    console.log(tile); // NOT DEFINED
    console.log(this); // DEFINED AND WORKING
}

Ecg

What are the bindings for the dashboard-component? – Mufinella

Tried using controllerAs syntax? – Recognize

@Mufinella added, The function in the controller is fired but I can't make both the controller scope and the input variable to be accessible. – Ecg

I meant for homecontroller, how do you bind homecontroller to the view? Are u using router? – Recognize

@Recognize Yes I'm using router with controllerAs syntax – Ecg

Answer 1

tl;dr; see Demo below

You are using expression binding.

angular.module('app.dashboard')
    .component('dashboardComponent', {
        templateUrl: 'app/dashboard/directives/dashboard-container.html',
        controller: DashboardComponent,
        controllerAs: 'DashboardCtrl',
        bindings: {
            onTileChange: "&"
        }
    })t

To communicate event data from a component to a parent controller:

Instantiate the dashboard-component with:

<dashboard-component on-tile-change="HomeCtrl.onTileChange($tile)">
</dashboard-component>

In the component controller invoke the function with locals:

this.onTileChange({$tile: tile});

The convention for injected locals is to name them with a $ prefix to differentiate them from variables on parent scope.

From the Docs:

• & or &attr - provides a way to execute an expression in the context of the parent scope. If no attr name is specified then the attribute name is assumed to be the same as the local name. Given <my-component my-attr="count = count + value"> and the isolate scope definition scope: { localFn:'&myAttr' }, the isolate scope property localFn will point to a function wrapper for the count = count + value expression. Often it's desirable to pass data from the isolated scope via an expression to the parent scope. This can be done by passing a map of local variable names and values into the expression wrapper fn. For example, if the expression is increment($amount) then we can specify the amount value by calling the localFn as localFn({$amount: 22}).

-- AngularJS Comprehensive Directive API Reference

---

DEMO of using expression ("&") binding to pass data

angular.module("app",[])
.directive("customDirective",function() {
    return {
        scope: {
            onSave: '&',
        },
        template: `
            <fieldset>
                <input ng-model="message"><br>
                <button ng-click="onSave({$event: message})">Save</button>
            </fieldset>
        `,
    };
})

<script src="//unpkg.com/angular/angular.js"></script>
<body ng-app="app">
    <custom-directive on-save="message=$event">
    </custom-directive>
    <br>
    message={{message}}
</body>

Mufinella

is this only available for angular 1.5.9? – Radiotelephony

Expression binding is part of AngularJS 1.2. In directives it is done with the scope property of the Directive Definition Object. – Mufinella