fix(ngTransclude): detect ngTranslude usage without a transclusion directive

Closes #3759

3 files changed, 37 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/docs/content/error/ngTransclude/orphan.ngdoc b/docs/content/error/ngTransclude/orphan.ngdoc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ac25432
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/error/ngTransclude/orphan.ngdoc
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+@ngdoc error
+@name ngTransclude:orphan
+@fullName Orphan ngTransclude Directive
+@description
+
+Occurs when an `ngTransclude` occurs without a transcluded ancesstor element.
+
+This error often occurs when you have forgotten to set `transclude: true` in some directive definition, and then used `ngTranslude` in the driective's template.
+
+To resolve, either remove the offending `ngTransclude` or check that `transclude: true` is included in the intended directive definition.
+
+Consult the API documentation for {@link guide/directive writing directives} to learn more.
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngTransclude.js b/src/ng/directive/ngTransclude.js
index d7c9cd44..490ea21f 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngTransclude.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngTransclude.js
@@ -52,7 +52,15 @@
  *
  */
 var ngTranscludeDirective = ngDirective({
-  controller: ['$transclude', function($transclude) {
+  controller: ['$element', '$transclude', function($element, $transclude) {
+    if (!$transclude) {
+      throw minErr('ngTransclude')('orphan',
+          'Illegal use of ngTransclude directive in the template! ' +
+          'No parent directive that requires a transclusion found. ' +
+          'Element: {0}',
+          startingTag($element));
+    }
+
     // remember the transclusion fn but call it during linking so that we don't process transclusion before directives on
     // the parent element even when the transclusion replaces the current element. (we can't use priority here because
     // that applies only to compile fns and not controllers
diff --git a/test/ng/compileSpec.js b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
index c6ba5480..580d51c3 100755
--- a/test/ng/compileSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
@@ -2834,6 +2834,22 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
     });
 
 
+    it('should throw on an ng-translude element inside no transclusion directive', function() {
+      inject(function ($rootScope, $compile) {
+        // we need to do this because different browsers print empty attributres differently
+        try {
+          $compile('<div><div ng-transclude></div></div>')($rootScope);
+        } catch(e) {
+          expect(e.message).toMatch(new RegExp(
+              '^\\\[ngTransclude:orphan\\\] ' +
+              'Illegal use of ngTransclude directive in the template! ' +
+              'No parent directive that requires a transclusion found\. ' +
+              'Element: <div ng-transclude.+'));
+        }
+      });
+    });
+
+
     it('should make the result of a transclusion available to the parent directive in post-linking phase (template)',
         function() {
       module(function() {