uiAutocompleteDirective-AFTER.js

app.directive('uiAutocomplete', ['autoCompleteService', function(autoCompleteService) {
  return {
    require: 'ngModel',
    link: function(scope, element, attrs, controller) {
      var _renderItem = function(ul, item) {
        return $( "<li>" )
          .append( $( "<a>" + item.label + "</a>" ) )
          .appendTo( ul );
      },
      select = function(event, ui) {
        if (ui.item) {
          ui.item.value = ui.item.value.replace(/<\/?[^>]+(>|$)/g, "");
            ngModelCtrl.$setViewValue(ui.item.iataCode);
            scope.$apply();
            element.itemSelected = true;
        }
      },
      close = function(event, ui){
        if (this.itemSelected) {
          $(this).select();
          this.itemSelected = false;
        }
      };

      element.autocomplete(
        {
          minLength: 1,
          autoFocus: true,
          close: close,
          source: autoCompleteService.source,
          select: select,
          delay: 100,
          focus: function(event, ui) {
              //Remove tags from the input
              ui.item.value = ui.item.value.replace(/<\/?[^>]+(>|$)/g, "");
          }
        }
      );
      element.data("uiAutocomplete")._renderItem = _renderItem;
    }
  };
}]);

uiAutocompleteDirective-BEFORE.js

app.directive('uiAutocomplete', ['autoCompleteService', function(autoCompleteService) {
  return {
    link: function(scope, element, attrs, controller) {
      var _renderItem = function(ul, item) {
        return $( "<li>" )
          .append( $( "<a>" + item.label + "</a>" ) )
          .appendTo( ul );
      },
      select = function(event, ui) {
        if (ui.item) {
          ui.item.value = ui.item.value.replace(/<\/?[^>]+(>|$)/g, "");
            scope.$apply(function(scope){scope.basic[attrs.uiAutocomplete] = ui.item.iataCode;});
            element.itemSelected = true;
        }
      },
      close = function(event, ui){
        if (this.itemSelected) {
          $(this).select();
          this.itemSelected = false;
        }
      };

      element.autocomplete(
        {
          minLength: 1,
          autoFocus: true,
          close: close,
          source: autoCompleteService.source,
          select: select,
          delay: 100,
          focus: function(event, ui) {
              //Remove tags from the input
              ui.item.value = ui.item.value.replace(/<\/?[^>]+(>|$)/g, "");
          }
        }
      );
      element.data("uiAutocomplete")._renderItem = _renderItem;
    }
  };
}]);