Doing AngularJS Controllers Properly

Question

Doing AngularJS Controllers Properly

Recently, my colleagues and I have been discussing the optimal approach to creating an AngularJS controller. There are various methods to create one, but my goal is to standardize our team's practices and follow the most effective way. When I refer to the "right way," I mean a method that is easy to read, testable, and performance-efficient. While there may be different opinions on the best technique for creating a controller, I prioritize testability as AngularJS excels in this aspect.

Without further delay, here are the options we are considering:

Let's assume our application is defined like this:

var app = angular.module('app',[]);

1.

app.controller('myCtrl', function(){
  ...
});

2.

function myCtrl = {
  ...
}
app.controller('Ctrl', myCtrl);

3.

(function(app) {
  app.controller('myCtrl', function() {
    ...
  }
})(app);

If there are any other methods worth considering, please let me know.

This discussion does not take into account minification adjustments, so kindly refrain from bringing that topic up here.

Thank you! (Fingers crossed this doesn't spark a heated debate ><)

javascript angularjs testing web-applications

Answer 1

Answer №1

Our team is dedicated to using only option 1 for our projects. While I have thought about incorporating option 3, we currently have a strict policy in place (backed up by jshint constraints) regarding global code implementation. Option 2 is off the table for us.

Answer 2

Our team is dedicated to using only option 1 for our projects. While I have thought about incorporating option 3, we currently have a strict policy in place (backed up by jshint constraints) regarding global code implementation. Option 2 is off the table for us.

Answer 3

Answer №2

My preferred method is as follows:

angular.module('myModule').controller('MyController', ['$scope', function($scope) {

   <stuff>

}]);

Although it may be more verbose, this approach ensures that nothing is created in the global scope. It clearly indicates which module the controller belongs to, and makes separating the controller into another file as simple as copying and pasting without concerns about where 'app' is defined or missing a '.' in a chained declaration.

Additionally, this version is minification safe, despite the temptation to ignore it.

I believe in establishing a clear standard and sticking to it. This way, any deviations from the norm are easily noticeable and can be corrected promptly.

Answer 4

My preferred method is as follows:

angular.module('myModule').controller('MyController', ['$scope', function($scope) {

   <stuff>

}]);

Although it may be more verbose, this approach ensures that nothing is created in the global scope. It clearly indicates which module the controller belongs to, and makes separating the controller into another file as simple as copying and pasting without concerns about where 'app' is defined or missing a '.' in a chained declaration.

Additionally, this version is minification safe, despite the temptation to ignore it.

I believe in establishing a clear standard and sticking to it. This way, any deviations from the norm are easily noticeable and can be corrected promptly.

Answer 5

Answer №3

If you're looking to improve your Angular skills, the Angular team recently shared a helpful best practices guide that could be a great starting point: . Additionally, there's a presentation available discussing best practices for creating controllers: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OgABsN24ZWN6Ugng-O8SjF7t0e3liQ9UN7hKdrCr0K8/present?pli=1&ueb=true&slide=id.p

In some cases, like when using number 2, you may not need app.controller('Ctrl', myCtrl);. You can reference a controller from ng-controller even without defining it with module.controller(...).

Consider structuring your controller as closely to "classes" as possible in JavaScript and utilizing the 'controller as' syntax.

var myApp = angular.module("myApp", []);

myApp.MyCtrl = function($log) {
    this.$log = $log;
}

myApp.MyCtrl.prototype.sayHello = function() {
    this.$log('hello');
}

There are scenarios where having globally accessible controllers might be beneficial. For instance, if you need to create an instance of your controller using $injector.instantiate(), you'll require access to its constructor (although you can achieve the same outcome using the $controller service with a string).

var myCtrl = $injector.instantiate(myApp.MyCtrl); //Works
var myCtrl2 = $injector.instantiate('MyCtrl'); //Doesn't Work

Unless you have a specific reason for globalizing your controllers, it's recommended to encapsulate them with module.controller(...);.

This answer also highlights the importance of using module.controller():

Answer 6

If you're looking to improve your Angular skills, the Angular team recently shared a helpful best practices guide that could be a great starting point: . Additionally, there's a presentation available discussing best practices for creating controllers: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OgABsN24ZWN6Ugng-O8SjF7t0e3liQ9UN7hKdrCr0K8/present?pli=1&ueb=true&slide=id.p

In some cases, like when using number 2, you may not need app.controller('Ctrl', myCtrl);. You can reference a controller from ng-controller even without defining it with module.controller(...).

Consider structuring your controller as closely to "classes" as possible in JavaScript and utilizing the 'controller as' syntax.

var myApp = angular.module("myApp", []);

myApp.MyCtrl = function($log) {
    this.$log = $log;
}

myApp.MyCtrl.prototype.sayHello = function() {
    this.$log('hello');
}

There are scenarios where having globally accessible controllers might be beneficial. For instance, if you need to create an instance of your controller using $injector.instantiate(), you'll require access to its constructor (although you can achieve the same outcome using the $controller service with a string).

var myCtrl = $injector.instantiate(myApp.MyCtrl); //Works
var myCtrl2 = $injector.instantiate('MyCtrl'); //Doesn't Work

Unless you have a specific reason for globalizing your controllers, it's recommended to encapsulate them with module.controller(...);.

This answer also highlights the importance of using module.controller():

Doing AngularJS Controllers Properly

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

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