How to set repeated element id in AngularJS? - angularjs

Question

I'd like to do something like:
<div class='row' ng-repeat='row in _.range(0,12)'>
<div id='{{row}}'></div>
</div>
but when in the controller I try:
function SetterForCatanCtrl($scope) {
$scope._ = _;
try {
var tile = document.getElementById('5');
tile.style.backgroundImage = "url('aoeu.png')";
} catch (e) {
alert(e)
}
}
getElementById returns null so how can an element's id be set using AngularJS variables?

Answer 1

The function SetterForCatanCtrl is run only once, when angular encounters a ngController directive while it bootstraps your app. When this happens the element you want to access from the DOM doesn't exist yet.
Doing DOM manipulation from a controller is not a good practice, directives are can solve the kind of problem you are facing. Your use case can be solved with CSS and just switching classes but I guess you want to do more than just setting a background image.
DOM manipulation from a controller
You are not asking for custom directives, so a quick solution could done using the ngClick directive and call a method that can switch images
Example HTML
<div ng-controller='ctrl'>
<div class='row' ng-repeat='row in _.range(0,12)'>
<div id='{{row}}' ng-click="click($index)">
<button>{{row}}</button>
</div>
</div>
</div>
And JS
var App = angular.module('app', []);
App.run(function($rootScope) {
$rootScope._ = _;
});
App.controller('ctrl', function($scope){
$scope.click = function(idx){
var elem = document.getElementById(idx);
console.log('clicked row', idx, elem);
};
​}); ​
So when a button is clicked you will get an id and use it to get an element from the DOM. But let me repeat, a for this use case a directive is a better choice.
JSFiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/jaimem/3Cm2Y/
pd: if you load jQuery you can use angular.element(<selector>) to select elements from the DOM.
edit: adding directive example
DOM manipulation from a directive
Using a directive is simpler, since you can just bind an event to the element the directive is applied to
HTML
<h1>Directive</h1>
<div class='row' ng-repeat='row in _.range(0,12)'>
<div id='{{row}}' my-directive>
<button>{{row}}</button>
</div>
</div>
JS
App.directive('myDirective', function(){
return function(scope, element, attr){
element.bind('click', function(){
console.log('clicked element: ', element, element.html());
});
};
});
http://jsfiddle.net/jaimem/3Cm2Y/1/