@ngdoc overview
@name Developer Guide: Angular HTML Compiler: Directives: Creating Custom Angular Directives
@description

The following code snippet shows how to define a custom directive. You define a new directive by
extending the {@link dev_guide.compiler Angular HTML compiler}. The code snippet below is a
simplified definition of the built-in {@link api/angular.directive.ng:bind ng:bind} directive:

<pre>
angular.directive('ng:bind', function(expression, compiledElement) {
    var compiler = this;
    return function(linkElement) {
        var currentScope = this;
        currentScope.$watch(expression, function(value) {
            linkElement.text(value);
        });
    };
});
</pre>

# Additional Compiler Methods for Custom Directives

The angular compiler exposes methods that you may need to use when writing your own widgets and
directives.  For example, the `descend()` method lets you control whether the compiler ignores or
processes child elements of the element it is compiling.  For information on this and other
compiler methods, see the {@link api/angular.module.ng.$compile Compiler API doc}.


## Related Docs

* {@link dev_guide.compiler.directives Understanding Angular Directives}
* {@link dev_guide.compiler.directives_widgets Comparing Directives and Widgets}
* {@link dev_guide.compiler Angular HTML Compiler}


## Related API

* {@link api/angular.directive Angular Directive API}.