angular-property-binder
=======================

Tiny library which help you to create reference variables and keep them intact. 
  
Don't use you're controller as a MODEL - [Best Practice](http://toddmotto.com/rethinking-angular-js-controllers/).  
*Controllers should bind references to Models only (and call methods returned from promises)*

### Installation
------------

`bower install angular-property-binder`  
`npm install angular-property-binder`  

Simply add:

````html
<script type="text/javascript" src="dist/js/angular-property-binder.min.js">
</script>
````
to your HTML, load module `['PropertyBinder']` and then inject the binder service to your controller|service|factory|provider 

````javascript

angular.module('MyApp', ['PropertyBinder'])
    .controller('MyController', [
    'PropertyBinder.services.binder', 
    function(bind) { 
        ... 
    }])

````

### API Reference
------------

Angular Property Binder service provides easy to use and minimalistic chaining methods.  
Here is the full list of accessible methods:

## Service **[PropertyBinder.services.binder]**

###`binder( value )`

#### Params:
 - **value**: String or Array. property name to bind.  

#### Returns:
 - Object; the binder

---

## Methods

###`from( scope, path )`

> Sets the source of the property to bind
*Mandatory*

#### Params:
  - **scope**: Object. The source object containing the property to bind.  
  - **path**: String or Array. The path to the targeted source.(optional)  
  Useful when you wan't to create a reference on a nested property  

#### Returns:
 - Object; the binder

---

###`to( scope )`

> Sets the target of the property to bind
*Mandatory*

#### Params:
  - **scope**: Object. The targeted object.  

#### Returns:
 - Object; the binder

---

###`apply( )`

> Applies the configured binding
*Mandatory*

#### Returns:
 - Object; the binder

---

###`as( alias )`

> Sets the alias to use for the binding
*Optional*

#### Params:
  - **scope**: Object or Array or String. The alias(es) to use.  

#### Returns:
 - Object; the binder

---

###`onchange( callback )`

> Sets a onchange event
*Optional*

#### Params:
  - **callback**: Function. The function called each time the property is updated from the created reference.  

#### Returns:
 - Object; the binder

---

###`seal( )`

> Seals the binding. 
> The next assignations will not work after this.  

#### Returns:
 - Object; the binder

---

###`unseal( )`

> Unseals the binding. 
> The next assignations will now work.  

#### Returns:
 - Object; the binder

---

###`destroy( )`

> Delete the created reference  

---

=======================

Basic usage:
See the full documented example in `example/modules/app/..`.  

````javascript
//cf example/modules/app/controllers/appTest.es6

angular.module('App')
	//you can use $scope or controllerAs methods
	.controller('App.controllers.appTest', [
	'PropertyBinder.services.binder', 
	'App.factories.users', 
	function(bind, userFactory){
		
		// old method - just create a reference with the factory property
		// this.users = userFactory.users;	
		// issue : the reference can be broken by many things

		bind('users'/*can take an array of properties*/)
			.from(userFactory)
			.to(this /*or $scope*/)
			.apply();

		console.log(this.users); //same as console.log(userFactory.users)

		bind('eyeColor')
			//avoid reference deleting
			//sample : get the eye color of the first user in the userFactory array
			.from(userFactory, 'users.0'/*path toward the nested property*/)
			.to(this)
			.apply();

		// the service can be used to create a reference on a primitive data type like integer or float
		bind('nbToLoad')
			.from(userFactory)
			.to(this)
			.apply()
			//bind an event triggered when the property is updated from this reference
			.onchange((newVal, oldVal) => {
				console.log('property updated', newVal, oldVal);
				userFactory.load();
			});

		// bind(['users','fu', 'bar']).from(userFactory).to(this /*or $scope*/).apply();

		// you can also give an alias to your property
		// in this case the property will be accessible by this.userAlias
		var binding = bind('users').as('usersAlias').from(userFactory).to(this /*or $scope*/).apply();
		// var binding = bind(['users','fu', 'bar']).as({ 'users':'usersAlias','fu':'fub', 'bar':'bars'}).from(userFactory).to(this /*or $scope*/).apply();
		// or
		// var binding = bind(['users','fu', 'bar']).as(['usersAlias','fub','bars']).from(userFactory).to(this /*or $scope*/).apply();

		// if you want to keep secure the factory data you can also seal the reference
		binding.seal();
		binding.unseal();

		// binding.destroy()

		// you can even bind a function in order to keep the scope
		bind('load').to(this).from(userFactory).apply();
		// this.load = userFactory.load; 

		userFactory.load();
	}]);

````

Other:  
````javascript

var app = angular.module('app', ['PropertyBinder']);
app.factory('app.factories.user', function() {
	return {
		authenticate: function() {/**/},
		update: function() {/**/},
		register: function() {/**/},
		user: {
			name: 'Jack',
			firstname: 'Bar',
			location: {
				city: 'Fu',
				country: 'FuBar'
			}
		}
	};
});
	
app.controller('app.controllers.sample', [
	'$scope',
	'app.factories.user', 
	'PropertyBinder.services.binder', 
function($scope, userFactory, bind) {

	bind('user').from(userFactory).to($scope).apply();
	console.log($scope.user.firstname); // "Bar"

	var binding = bind('firstname').as('userName').to($scope).from(userFactory, ['user']).apply();
	console.log($scope.userName); // "Bar"
	$scope.userName = 'FuFuBarBar';
	console.log($scope.userName, userFactory.user.firstname, $scope.user.firstname); // "FuFuBarBar", "FuFuBarBar", "FuFuBarBar"

	binding.seal();
	$scope.userName = 'Bar'; //it will not work
	console.log($scope.userName, userFactory.user.firstname, $scope.user.firstname); // "FuFuBarBar", "FuFuBarBar", "FuFuBarBar"
	$scope.user.firstname = 'Bar';
	console.log($scope.userName, userFactory.user.firstname, $scope.user.firstname); // "Bar", "Bar", "Bar"

	binding.unseal();

	bind(['city', 'country']).to($scope).from(userFactory, 'user.location').apply();

	bind('register').from(userFactory).to($scope).apply(); //similar to $scope.register = userFactory.bind(userFactory);

	binding.destroy();

}]);

````

### Modify and build
--------------------

`npm install`

To build the dev version just type: `grunt es6`
It will create js files from the es6 sources.

To build the dist version just type: `grunt build`
It will generate and minify js files.