AngularJS: model data from http call not available in directive - angularjs

Question

There seems to be a bug where model data fetched from an http call is present in the $scope but not in a directive. Here is the code that illustrates the problem:
Jsfiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/supercobra/hrgpc/
var myApp = angular.module('myApp', []).directive('prettyTag', function($interpolate) {
return {
restrict: 'E',
link: function(scope, element, attrs) {
var text = element.text();
//var text = attrs.ngModel;
var e = $interpolate(text)(scope);
var htmlText = "<b>" + e + "</b>";
element.html(htmlText);
}
};
});
function MyCtrl($scope, $http, $templateCache) {
$scope.method = 'JSONP';
$scope.url = 'http://angularjs.org/greet.php?callback=JSON_CALLBACK&name=Super%20Hero';
$scope.fetch = function () {
$scope.code = null;
$scope.response = null;
$http({
method: $scope.method,
url: $scope.url,
cache: $templateCache
}).
success(function (data, status) {
$scope.status = status;
$scope.data = data;
}).
error(function (data, status) {
$scope.data = data || "Request failed";
$scope.status = status;
});
};
}
The HTML
<div ng-controller="MyCtrl">
<h1>Angular $http call / directive bug</h1>
<p>This fiddle illustrates a bug that shows that model w/ data fetched via an http call
is not present within a directive.</p>
<hr>
<h2>HTTP call settings</h2>
<li>Method: {{method}}
<li>URL: {{url}}
<br>
<button ng-click="fetch()">fetch</button>
<hr/>
<h3>HTTP call result</h3>
<li>HTTP response status: {{status}}</li>
<li>HTTP response data: {{data}}</li>
<hr/>
<h2>Pretty tag</h2>
<pretty-tag>make this pretty</pretty-tag>
<hr/>
<h3 style="color: red" >Should show http response data within pretty tag</h3>
[<pretty-tag>{{data}}</pretty-tag>] // <=== this is empty
</div>
Jsfiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/supercobra/hrgpc/
Any help appreciated.

Answer 1

You are replacing the content of the directive in your directive implementation. Since the $http request is async, the directive completes before the data is retrieve and assigned to the scope.
Put a watch on data variable inside the directive and then re-render the content, something like
scope.$watch(attrs.source,function(value) {
var e = $interpolate(text)(scope);
var htmlText = "<b>" + e + "</b>";
element.html(htmlText);
});
Based on #Marks feedback and your request i have update fiddle
http://jsfiddle.net/cmyworld/V6sDs/1/