Modifying a Shared Variable Between Multiple AngularJS Directives

Question

I have created this jsfiddle:

http://jsfiddle.net/noahgoodrich/CDwfL/1/

I have created a set of directives to manage and manipulate navigational tabs. For some reason, when I try to close a tab, it initially removes the appropriate array element, but then the element is replaced with an empty element. Opening tabs seems to work as expected.

  app.directive('navTabOpen', ['$parse', 'navTabsService', function($parse, navTabsService) {
    return {
      restrict: 'A',
      link: function(scope, element, attrs) {
        scope.tabs = navTabsService.tabs;

        element.bind('click', function() {
          var tab = null;
          var b = scope.$eval(attrs.navTabOpen);

          for(var i=0;i<scope.tabs.length;i++) {
            scope.tabs[i].active = null;

            if(scope.tabs[i].tabId == b.id) {
              tab = i;
            }
          }

          if(tab == null) {
            tab = {tabId: b.id, name: b.name, stage: b.status, active: 'active'};
            scope.tabs.push(tab)
          } else {
            scope.tabs[tab].active = 'active';
          }
        });
      }
    }
  }])
  .directive('navTabClose', ['$location', 'navTabsService', function($location, navTabsService) {
    return {
      restrict: 'A',
      link: function(scope, element, attrs) {
        scope.tabs = navTabsService.tabs;

        element.bind('click', function() { 
          var tab = null;
          for(var i=0;i<scope.tabs.length;i++) {
            if(scope.tabs[i].tabId == attrs.tabId) {
              tab = i;
            }
          }

          if(tab != null) {
            if(scope.tabs[tab].active == 'active') {
              if(scope.tabs.length == 1) {
                $location.path('/');
              } else if(tab == 0) {
                scope.tabs[1].active = 'active';
              } else {
                scope.tabs[tab-1].active = 'active';
              }
            }

            scope.tabs.splice(tab,1);
            console.log(scope.tabs)
          }
        });
      }
    }
  }])

Can anyone provide insight into how I'm using the navTabsService incorrectly? Or is something with the link() functions in the navTabOpen and navTabClose directives?

Answer 1

In your navTab directive (visible in linked fiddle), the directive template defines a span element nested in a tag. Span element uses navTabClose directive while the parent a tag element uses navTabOpen directive. Linking function in both directives define a click handler. Both handlers are executed when x is clicked and this produces unexpected behaviour.

app.directive('navTab', function () {
    return {
      restrict: 'A',
      template: '<li class="{{tab.active}} stage-{{tab.stage}}">'
                  +'<a href="/borrower/{{tab.tabId}}" nav-tab-open="{id: {{tab.tabId}}}" >{{tab.name}}'
                    +'<span class="close" nav-tab-close tab-id="{{tab.tabId}}">×</span>'
                  +'</a>'
                +'</li>',
      replace: true,
      scope: { tab: '=' }
    };
  })