Using Bootstrap typeahead with Angular

Question

I am currently developing a web application which uses twitter-bootstrap and Angularjs in good harmony. However, I have problems with the typeahead and using it as a ng-model.

Everything works fine when typing, but when I select an item (a suggestion), the value does not reflect in the Angular controller unless I change the value of the textbox after a value has been selected. Type -> Select -> Type works. Type -> Select does not work.

HTML:

<form ng-submit="addAssignment(assignName)">
  <div class="input-append">
    <input type="text" placeholder="Type a name" ng-model="assignName" ng-change="dostuff()" data-provide="typeahead" data-source="{{ teamNames }}">
    <button class="btn" type="submit">Add</button>
 </div>
</form>

Angular code:

 $scope.addAssignment = function(name) {
    alert(name);
    return;
 }

I have added a ng-change function just to check when the model value is changed. It is only changed when typing manually, and NOT when a value is selected from the list that appears on typeahead.

I appreciate any response that may help to resolve this issue. Thanks!

Answer 1

There is a working native implementation in AngularStrap for Bootstrap3 that leverages ngAnimate from AngularJS v1.2+

• Demo : http://mgcrea.github.io/angular-strap/##typeaheads

You may also want to checkout:

• Source : https://github.com/mgcrea/angular-strap/blob/master/src/typeahead/typeahead.js
• Plunkr : http://plnkr.co/edit/VB43wxoDBhVyRMnKUHr9?p=preview

Answer 2

I would suggest checking out the typeahead directive from the AngularUI/boostrap repository: http://angular-ui.github.com/bootstrap/

It is native implementation in pure AngularJS so it doesn't require any 3rd party dependencies. On top of this it is very well integrated with the AngularJS ecosystem as it: * uses concise syntax known from the select directive * understands AngularJS promises so results can be fetched dynamically using $http with the minimal effort.

Answer 3

I made this native typeahead implementation relying only on angular (and bootstrap css for the styling), might help anyone looking how to do this.

Demo here: https://jsfiddle.net/bh29tesc/

Angular directive:

angular.module('app').
directive('typeahead', ['$compile', '$timeout', function($compile, $timeout)   {
    return {
        restrict: 'A',
        transclude: true,
        scope: {
            ngModel: '=',
            typeahead: '=',
            typeaheadCallback: "="
        },
        link: function(scope, elem, attrs) {
            var template = '<div class="dropdown"><ul class="dropdown-menu" style="display:block;" ng-hide="!ngModel.length || !filitered.length || selected"><li ng-repeat="item in filitered = (typeahead | filter:{name:ngModel} | limitTo:5) track by $index" ng-click="click(item)" style="cursor:pointer" ng-class="{active:$index==active}" ng-mouseenter="mouseenter($index)"><a>{{item.name}}</a></li></ul></div>'

            elem.bind('blur', function() {
                $timeout(function() {
                    scope.selected = true
                }, 100)
            })

            elem.bind("keydown", function($event) {
                if($event.keyCode == 38 && scope.active > 0) { // arrow up
                    scope.active--
                    scope.$digest()
                } else if($event.keyCode == 40 && scope.active < scope.filitered.length - 1) { // arrow down
                    scope.active++
                    scope.$digest()
                } else if($event.keyCode == 13) { // enter
                    scope.$apply(function() {
                        scope.click(scope.filitered[scope.active])
                    })
                }
            })

            scope.click = function(item) {
                scope.ngModel = item.name
                scope.selected = item
                if(scope.typeaheadCallback) {
                    scope.typeaheadCallback(item)
                }
                elem[0].blur()
            }

            scope.mouseenter = function($index) {
                scope.active = $index
            }

            scope.$watch('ngModel', function(input) {
                if(scope.selected && scope.selected.name == input) {
                    return
                }

                scope.active = 0
                scope.selected = false

                // if we have an exact match and there is only one item in the list, automatically select it
                if(input && scope.filitered.length == 1 && scope.filitered[0].name.toLowerCase() == input.toLowerCase()) {
                    scope.click(scope.filitered[0])
                }
            })

            elem.after($compile(template)(scope))
        }
    }
}]);

Usage:

<input class="form-control" type="text" autocomplete="false" ng-model="input" placeholder="Start typing a country" typeahead="countries" typeahead-callback="callback" />

Answer 4

Well, I have created a dirty workaround. Based on the example located here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/angular/FqIqrs-IR0w/discussion, I have created a new module for the typeahead control:

angular.module('storageApp', []).directive('typeahead', function () {
return {
    restrict:'E',
    replace:true,
    scope:{
        model:'=',
        source:'&'
    },
    template:'<input type="text" ng-model="model"/>',
    link:function (scope, element, attrs) {
        console.log(scope.source);
        $(element).typeahead({
            source:scope.source,
            updater:function (item) {
                scope.$apply(read(item));
                return item;
            }
        });

        function read(value) {
            scope.model = value;
        }
    } // end link function
}; // end return
}); // end angular function

I had some issues with the databinding, the auto-fill options are gathered from an Angular control, and I had the issue that the control was created before this information was ready. Therefore, I added an html-attribute (datasource) to the typeahead control, and set up an $observe function in the constructor.

<typeahead id="addSupplier" model="addSupplier" placeholder="Skriv inn leverandør" class="typeahead" source="getSuppliers()" ></typeahead>

I think this is a dirty solution, so if anyone has a better idea, I am welcome to hear it :). The bug is described here: https://github.com/angular/angular.js/issues/1284

Answer 5

Here is another method I have used. It is dirty as well. This code can be dropped in your controller.

$('#id_of_your_typeahead_input').change(function(event){
  $scope.$apply(function(scope){
    scope.your_ng_model = event.target.value;
  });
  $scope.your_ng_click_function();
});

Answer 6

This is based on @zgohr's implementation

$('#your-input-id-here').change((event)->
  angular.element("#your-input-id-here").scope().$apply((scope)->
    scope.your_ng_model = event.target.value
  )
)

Answer 7

Another alternative

In HTML

    <form ng-submit="submitRegion()">
        <input type="text" ng-model="currentRegion" id="region-typeahead" data-source="{{ defaultRegions }}"  data-provide="typeahead"/>
        <button type="submit" class="btn">Add</button>
    </form>

In your Controller

    $scope.defaultRegions = ["Afghanistan", "Australia", "Bahrain", "New Zealand" ];

    $scope.submitRegion = function(){
        $scope.currentRegion = $('#region-typeahead').val();
        $scope.addRegion(); //your add or click function you defined
        $scope.currentRegion = ''; //clear
    }