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<h1 class="external">An AngularJS Style Guide for Closure Users at Google</h1>

<p class="external">This is the external version of a document that was primarily written for Google
    engineers. It describes a recommended style for AngularJS apps that use Closure, as used
    internally at Google. Members of the broader AngularJS community should feel free to apply
    (or not apply) these recommendations, as relevant to their own use cases.</p>

<p class="external">This document describes style for AngularJS apps in google3. This guide
    supplements and extends the <a href="http://google-styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/javascriptguide.xml">
        Google JavaScript Style Guide</a>.
</p>

<p><b>Style Note</b>: Examples on the AngularJS external webpage, and many external apps, are
    written in a style that freely uses closures, favors functional inheritance, and does not often use
    <a class="external"
                               href="http://google-styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/javascriptguide.xml?showone=JavaScript_Types#JavaScript_Types">
        JavaScript types</a>. Google follows a more rigorous Javascript style to support JSCompiler
    optimizations and large code bases - see the javascript-style mailing list.
    This is not an Angular-specific issue, and is not discussed further in this style guide.
    (But if you want further reading:
    <a  href="http://martinfowler.com/bliki/Lambda.html">Martin Fowler on closures</a>,
    <a href="http://jibbering.com/faq/notes/closures/">much longer description</a>, appendix A of the
    <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Closure_The_Definitive_Guide.html?id=p7uyWPcVGZsC">
        closure book</a> has a good description of inheritance patterns and why it prefers
    pseudoclassical,
    <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/JavaScript.html?id=PXa2bby0oQ0C">
        Javascript, the Good Parts</a> as a counter.)</p>

<h5>1 Angular Language Rules</h5>
<ul>
    <li> <a target="_self" href="#googprovide">Manage dependencies with Closure's goog.require and
        goog.provide</a>
    <li> <a target="_self" href="#modules"> Modules</a>
    <li> <a target="_self" href="#moduledeps"> Modules should reference other modules using the
        "name" property</a>
    <li> <a target="_self" href="#externs">Use the provided Angular externs file</a>
    <li> <a target="_self" href="#compilerflags">JSCompiler Flags</a>
    <li> <a target="_self" href="#controllers">Controllers and Scopes</a>
    <li> <a target="_self" href="#directives">Directives</a>
    <li> <a target="_self" href="#services">Services</a>
</ul>
<h5>2 Angular Style Rules</h5>
<ul>
    <li><a target="_self" href="#dollarsign">Reserve $ for Angular properties and services
    </a>
    <li><a target="_self" href="#customelements">Custom elements.</a>
</ul>
<h5>3 Angular Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices</h5>
<ul>
    <li><a target="_self" href="#testing">Testing</a>
    <li><a target="_self" href="#appstructure">Consider using the Best Practices for App Structure</a>
    <li><a target="_self" href="#scopeinheritance">Be aware of how scope inheritance works</a>
    <li><a target="_self" href="#nginject">Use @ngInject for easy dependency injection compilation</a>
</ul>

<h5><a target="_self" href="#bestpractices">4 Best practices links and docs</a></h5>

<h2>1 Angular Language Rules</h2>

<h3 id="googprovide">Manage dependencies with Closure's goog.require and goog.provide</h3>
<p>Choose a namespace for your project, and use goog.provide and goog.require.</p>
<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
goog.provide('hello.about.AboutCtrl');
goog.provide('hello.versions.Versions');
</pre>

<p><b>Why?</b>
    Google BUILD rules integrate nicely with closure provide/require.</p>

<h3 id="modules">Modules</h3>

<p>Your main application module should be in your root client directory. A module should never be
    altered other than the one where it is defined.</p>

<p>Modules may either be defined in the same file as their components (this works well for a module
    that contains exactly one service) or in a separate file for wiring pieces together.</p>

<p><b>Why?</b>
    A module should be consistent for anyone that wants to include it as a reusable component.
    If a module can mean different things depending on which files are included, it is not consistent.
</p>

<h3 id="moduledeps">
    Modules should reference other modules using the Angular Module's "name" property
</h3>

<p>For example:</p>

<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
// file submodulea.js:
  goog.provide('my.submoduleA');

  my.submoduleA = angular.module('my.submoduleA', []);
  // ...

// file app.js
  goog.require('my.submoduleA');

  Yes: my.application.module = angular.module('hello', [my.submoduleA.name]);
  <font color="red">
      No: my.application.module = angular.module('hello', ['my.submoduleA']);
  </font></pre>

<p><b>Why?</b>
    Using a property of my.submoduleA prevents Closure presubmit failures complaining that the file is
    required but never used. Using the .name property avoids duplicating strings.</p>

<h3 id="externs">Use the provided Angular externs file</h3>
<p>
    <a href="https://cs.corp.google.com/#piper///depot/google3/third_party/javascript/angular/v1_2/BUILD">//third_party/javascript/angular/v1_2:externs</a>
</p>

<p>This maximally allows the JS compiler to enforce type safety in the presence of externally
    provided types from Angular, and means you don't have to worry about Angular vars being obfuscated
    in a confusing way. If you come across any issues with the externs file, please alert the Angular
    users group and create a CL if you would to address the problem.</p>

<p>Note to readers outside Google: the current externs file is located in an internal-to-Google
    directory, but an example can be found on github <a href="https://github.com/angular/angular.js/pull/4722">
        here</a>.</p>

<h3 id="compilerflags">JSCompiler Flags</h3>
<p><b>Reminder</b>: According to the JS style guide, customer facing code must be compiled.</p>

<p><b>Recommended</b>: Use the JSCompiler (the closure compiler that works with js_binary by
    default) and ANGULAR_COMPILER_FLAGS_FULL from //javascript/angular/build_defs/build_defs for
    your base flags.
</p>

<p>Note - if you are using @export for methods, you will need to add the compiler flag</p>
<pre>
"--generate_exports",
</pre>

<p>If you are using @export for properties, you will need to add the flags:</p>
<pre>
"--generate_exports",
"--remove_unused_prototype_props_in_externs=false",
"--export_local_property_definitions",
</pre>

<h3 id="controllers">Controllers and Scopes</h3>
<p>Controllers are classes. Methods should be defined on MyCtrl.prototype.
    See <a href="http://google-styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/javascriptguide.xml?showone=Method_and_property_definitions#Method_and_property_definitions">
        the JavaScript style guide</a></p>

<p>Google Angular applications should use the <b>'controller as'</b> style to export the controller
    onto the scope. This is fully implemented in Angular 1.2 and can be mimicked in pre-Angular 1.2
    builds.
</p>

<p>Pre Angular 1.2, this looks like:</p>
<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
/**
 * Home controller.
 *
 * @param {!angular.Scope} $scope
 * @constructor
 * @ngInject
 * @export
 */
hello.mainpage.HomeCtrl = function($scope) {
  /** @export */
  $scope.homeCtrl = this; // This is a bridge until Angular 1.2 controller-as

  /**
   * @type {string}
   * @export
   */
  this.myColor = 'blue';
};


/**
 * @param {number} a
 * @param {number} b
 * @export
 */
hello.mainpage.HomeCtrl.prototype.add = function(a, b) {
  return a + b;
};
</pre>

<p>And the template:</p>

<pre>
&lt;div ng-controller="hello.mainpage.HomeCtrl"/&gt;
  &lt;span ng-class="homeCtrl.myColor"&gt;I'm in a color!&lt;/span&gt;
  &lt;span&gt;{{homeCtrl.add(5, 6)}}&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
</pre>

<p>After Angular 1.2, this looks like:</p>

<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
/**
 * Home controller.
 *
 * @constructor
 * @ngInject
 * @export
 */
hello.mainpage.HomeCtrl = function() {
  /**
   * @type {string}
   * @export
   */
  this.myColor = 'blue';
};


/**
 * @param {number} a
 * @param {number} b
 * @export
 */
hello.mainpage.HomeCtrl.prototype.add = function(a, b) {
  return a + b;
};
</pre>

<p>If you are compiling with property renaming, expose properties and methods using the @export
    annotation. Remember to @export the constructor as well.</p>

<p>And in the template:</p>

<pre>
&lt;div ng-controller="hello.mainpage.HomeCtrl as homeCtrl"/&gt;
  &lt;span ng-class="homeCtrl.myColor"&gt;I'm in a color!&lt;/span&gt;
  &lt;span&gt;{{homeCtrl.add(5, 6)}}&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
</pre>

<p><b>Why?</b>
    Putting methods and properties directly onto the controller, instead of building up a scope
    object, fits better with the Google Closure class style. Additionally, using 'controller as'
    makes it obvious which controller you are accessing when multiple controllers apply to an element.
    Since there is always a '.' in the bindings, you don't have to worry about prototypal inheritance
    masking primitives.</p>

<h3 id="directives">Directives</h3>

<p>All DOM manipulation should be done inside directives. Directives should be kept small and use
    composition. Files defining directives should goog.provide a static function which returns the
    directive definition object.</p>

<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
goog.provide('hello.pane.paneDirective');

/**
 * Description and usage
 * @return {angular.Directive} Directive definition object.
 */
hello.pane.paneDirective = function() {
  // ...
};
</pre>

<p><b>Exception</b>: DOM manipulation may occur in services for DOM elements disconnected from the
    rest of the view, e.g. dialogs or keyboard shortcuts.</p>

<h3 id="services">Services</h3>

<p>Services registered on the module with <code>module.service</code> are classes.
    Use <code>module.service</code> instead of <code>module.provider</code> or
    <code>module.factory</code> unless you need to do initialization beyond just creating a
    new instance of the class.</p>

<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
/**
 * @param {!angular.$http} $http The Angular http service.
 * @constructor
 */
hello.request.Request = function($http) {
  /** @type {!angular.$http} */
  this.http_ = $http;
};

hello.request.Request.prototype.get = function() {/*...*/};
</pre>

<p>In the module:</p>

<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
module.service('request', hello.request.Request);
</pre>


<h2>2 Angular Style Rules</h2>

<h3 id="dollarsign">Reserve $ for Angular properties and services</h3>
<p>Do not use $ to prepend your own object properties and service identifiers. Consider this style
    of naming reserved by AngularJS and jQuery.</p>

<p>Yes:</p>
<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
  $scope.myModel = { value: 'foo' }
  myModule.service('myService', function() { â€¦ });
  var MyCtrl = function($http) {this.http_ = $http;};
</pre>

<p><font color="red">No:</font></p>
<pre class="prettyprint">
  $scope.$myModel = { value: 'foo' } // BAD
  $scope.myModel = { $value: 'foo' } // BAD
  myModule.service('$myService', function() { ... }); // BAD
  var MyCtrl = function($http) {this.$http_ = $http;}; // BAD
</pre>

<p><b>Why?</b>
    It's useful to distinguish between Angular / jQuery builtins and things you add yourself.
    In addition, $ is not an acceptable character for variables names in the JS style guide.
</p>

<h3 id="customelements">Custom elements</h3>

<p>For custom elements (e.g. <code>&lt;ng-include src="template"&gt;&lt;/ng-include&gt;</code>), IE8
    requires special support (html5shiv-like hacks) to enable css styling.  Be aware of this
    restriction in apps targeting old versions of IE.</p>

<h2>3 Angular Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices</h2>

<p>These are not strict style guide rules, but are placed here as reference for folks getting
    started with Angular at Google.</p>

<h3 id="testing">Testing</h3>

<p>Angular is designed for test-driven development.</p>

<p>The recommended unit testing setup is Jasmine + Karma (though you could use closure tests
    or js_test)</p>

<p>Angular provides easy adapters to load modules and use the injector in Jasmine tests.
<ul>
    <li><a href = "http://docs.angularjs.org/api/angular.mock.module">module</a>
    <li><a href="http://docs.angularjs.org/api/angular.mock.inject">inject</a>
</ul>
</p>

<p>Karma build rules are available for easy test running! (
    <a href="https://cs.corp.google.com/#piper///depot/google3/javascript/angular/example/client/BUILD">
        see this example at //depot/google3/javascript/angular/example/client/BUILD
    </a>)</p>

<h3 id="appstructure">Consider using the Best Practices for App Structure</h3>
<p><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/google.com/document/d/17r-9xmY79iCRqlt8ilJHfQmeBHHIKgKi7ZXY9eO96PM">
    This directory structure doc</a> describes how to structure your application with controllers in
    nested subdirectories and all components (e.g. services and directives) in a 'components' dir.
</p>

<p>Note to to readers outside Google: A public version of the Best Practices for App Structure
    document <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XXMvReO8-Awi1EZXAXS4PzDzdNvV6pGcuaF4Q9821Es/pub">
        is available here.</a></p>

<h3 id="scopeinheritance">Be aware of how scope inheritance works</h3>

<p>See <a href="https://github.com/angular/angular.js/wiki/Understanding-Scopes#wiki-JSproto">
    The Nuances of Scope Prototypal Inheritance</a></p>

<h3 id="nginject">Use @ngInject for easy dependency injection compilation</h3>
<p>This removes the need to add <code>myCtrl['$inject'] = ...</code> to prevent minification from
    messing up Angular's dependency injection.</p>

<p>Usage:</p>
<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">
/**
 * My controller.
 * @param {!angular.$http} $http
 * @param {!my.app.myService} myService
 * @constructor
 * @export
 * @ngInject
 */
my.app.MyCtrl = function($http, myService) {
  //...
};
</pre>

<h2 id="bestpractices">4 Best practices links and docs</h2>

<ul>
    <li><a href="https://github.com/angular/angular.js/wiki/Best-Practices">
        Best Practices</a> from Angular on GitHub</li>
    <li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhfUv0spHCY">
        Meetup video</a> (not Google specific)</li>
</ul>
<address>
    Last modified Feb 07 2013
</address>
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