fix(ngView): IE8 regression due to expando on non-element nodes

This fixes the "TypeError: Object doesn't support this property or method" error on IE8,
when view templates contain leading white-space.

Closes #3971

2 files changed, 7 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/src/ngRoute/directive/ngView.js b/src/ngRoute/directive/ngView.js
index d67d8a76..27357962 100644
--- a/src/ngRoute/directive/ngView.js
+++ b/src/ngRoute/directive/ngView.js
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ function ngViewFactory(   $route,   $anchorScroll,   $compile,   $controller,
                   currentScope[current.controllerAs] = controller;
                 }
                 clone.data('$ngControllerController', controller);
-                clone.contents().data('$ngControllerController', controller);
+                clone.children().data('$ngControllerController', controller);
               }
 
               link(currentScope);
diff --git a/test/ngRoute/directive/ngViewSpec.js b/test/ngRoute/directive/ngViewSpec.js
index d354a355..d38b3ba9 100644
--- a/test/ngRoute/directive/ngViewSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngRoute/directive/ngViewSpec.js
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ describe('ngView', function() {
   });
 
 
-  it('should set $scope and $controllerController on the view', function() {
+  it('should set $scope and $controllerController on the view elements (except for non-element nodes)', function() {
     function MyCtrl($scope) {
       $scope.state = 'WORKS';
       $scope.ctrl = this;
@@ -466,11 +466,14 @@ describe('ngView', function() {
     });
 
     inject(function($templateCache, $location, $rootScope, $route) {
-      $templateCache.put('tpl.html', [200, '<div>{{state}}</div>', {}]);
+      // in the template the white-space before the div is an intentional non-element node,
+      // a text might get wrapped into span so it's safer to just use white space
+      $templateCache.put('tpl.html', [200, '   \n   <div>{{state}}</div>', {}]);
 
       $location.url('/foo');
       $rootScope.$digest();
-      expect(element.text()).toEqual('WORKS');
+      // using toMatch because in IE8+jquery the space doesn't get preserved. jquery bug?
+      expect(element.text()).toMatch(/\s*WORKS/);
 
       var div = element.find('div');
       expect(div.parent()[0].nodeName.toUpperCase()).toBeOneOf('NG:VIEW', 'VIEW');