AngularJS directives attributes access from the controller

Question

I am trying to access the attributes of a directive in the controller function. However, by the time I access it, it is undefined. I noticed that if I do a simple timer it works. Is there a way to execute code only after the directive and it's scopes are ready and set to be used?

I made a fiddle with it. Make sure your console is open. http://jsfiddle.net/paulocoelho/uKA2L/1/

Here is the code I am using in the fiddle:

<div ng-app="testApp" >
    <testcomponent text="hello!"></testcomponent>
</div>

var module = angular.module('testApp', [])
    .directive('testcomponent', function () {
    return {
        restrict: 'E',
        template: '<div><p>{{text}} This will run fine! </p></div>',
        scope: {
            text: '@text'
        },
        controller: function ($scope, $element) {
            console.log($scope.text); // this will return undefined
            setTimeout(function () {
                console.log($scope.text);    // this will return the actual value...
            }, 1000);
        },
        link: function ($scope, $element, $attrs) {
            console.log($scope.text);
            setTimeout(function () {
                console.log($scope.text);
            }, 1000);
        }
    };
});

Answer 1

What works is, if you set

scope.text = $attrs.text;

inside the linking and the controller functions. This will only work initially, as there is no 2way- databinding. You can use $attrs.observe though.

See fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/JohannesJo/nm3FL/2/