Unable to perform $scope.$eval

Question

I have a simple string as follows:

var templateString = "<span>This is a test</span>"

This string is defined inside a directive's link function.

Now, inside the link function, I carry out the following code:

scope.$eval(templateString);

My next step is to $compile the data and associate it with the scope.

However, I get the error when I do the $eval:

Uncaught Error: Syntax Error: Token 'span' is an unexpected token at 
column 2 of the expression [<span>This is a test</span>]
starting at [span>This is a Test</span>]. 

But if I look at the documentation located here, I seem to have carried out the steps correctly yet the string does not evaluate.

EDIT: I am using the following example from the documentation:

  angular.module('compile', [], function($compileProvider) {
    // configure new 'compile' directive by passing a directive
    // factory function. The factory function injects the '$compile'
    $compileProvider.directive('compile', function($compile) {
      // directive factory creates a link function
      return function(scope, element, attrs) {
        scope.$watch(
          function(scope) {
             // watch the 'compile' expression for changes
            return scope.$eval(attrs.compile);
          },
          function(value) {
            // when the 'compile' expression changes
            // assign it into the current DOM
            element.html(value);

            // compile the new DOM and link it to the current
            // scope.
            // NOTE: we only compile .childNodes so that
            // we don't get into infinite loop compiling ourselves
            $compile(element.contents())(scope);
          }
        );
      };
    })
  });

I am not using the $watch however since I don't need to watch any expression and have the template with me already (templateString).

Answer 1

$eval is to evaluate an expression, your templateString isn't a valid expression, that's why the error occurs.

You should use just $compile(templateString)(scope), it will compile your template, and link with scope, means that all expression will be evaluated with the supplied scope.