feat($compile): add preAssignBindingsEnabled option

A new option to enable/disable whether directive controllers are assigned bindings before
calling the controller's constructor.

If enabled (true), the compiler assigns the value of each of the bindings to the
properties of the controller object before the constructor of this object is called.

If disabled (false), the compiler calls the constructor first before assigning bindings.

The default value is enabled (true) in Angular 1.5.x but will switch to false in Angular 1.6.x.

See #14580
Closes #15095

Author: petebacondarwin

src/ng/compile.js

@@ -1369,6 +1369,35 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
     return debugInfoEnabled;
   };
 
+  /**
+   * @ngdoc method
+   * @name  $compileProvider#preAssignBindingsEnabled
+   *
+   * @param {boolean=} enabled update the preAssignBindingsEnabled state if provided, otherwise just return the
+   * current preAssignBindingsEnabled state
+   * @returns {*} current value if used as getter or itself (chaining) if used as setter
+   *
+   * @kind function
+   *
+   * @description
+   * Call this method to enable/disable whether directive controllers are assigned bindings before
+   * calling the controller's constructor.
+   * If enabled (true), the compiler assigns the value of each of the bindings to the
+   * properties of the controller object before the constructor of this object is called.
+   *
+   * If disabled (false), the compiler calls the constructor first before assigning bindings.
+   *
+   * The default value is true in Angular 1.5.x but will switch to false in Angular 1.6.x.
+   */
+  var preAssignBindingsEnabled = true;
+  this.preAssignBindingsEnabled = function(enabled) {
+    if (isDefined(enabled)) {
+      preAssignBindingsEnabled = enabled;
+      return this;
+    }
+    return preAssignBindingsEnabled;
+  };
+
 
   var TTL = 10;
   /**
@@ -2666,22 +2695,29 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
           var controller = elementControllers[name];
           var bindings = controllerDirective.$$bindings.bindToController;
 
-          if (controller.identifier && bindings) {
-            controller.bindingInfo =
-              initializeDirectiveBindings(controllerScope, attrs, controller.instance, bindings, controllerDirective);
-          } else {
-            controller.bindingInfo = {};
-          }
+          if (preAssignBindingsEnabled) {
+            if (controller.identifier && bindings) {
+              controller.bindingInfo =
+                initializeDirectiveBindings(controllerScope, attrs, controller.instance, bindings, controllerDirective);
+            } else {
+              controller.bindingInfo = {};
+            }
 
-          var controllerResult = controller();
-          if (controllerResult !== controller.instance) {
-            // If the controller constructor has a return value, overwrite the instance
-            // from setupControllers
-            controller.instance = controllerResult;
-            $element.data('$' + controllerDirective.name + 'Controller', controllerResult);
-            if (controller.bindingInfo.removeWatches) {
-              controller.bindingInfo.removeWatches();
+            var controllerResult = controller();
+            if (controllerResult !== controller.instance) {
+              // If the controller constructor has a return value, overwrite the instance
+              // from setupControllers
+              controller.instance = controllerResult;
+              $element.data('$' + controllerDirective.name + 'Controller', controllerResult);
+              if (controller.bindingInfo.removeWatches) {
+                controller.bindingInfo.removeWatches();
+              }
+              controller.bindingInfo =
+                initializeDirectiveBindings(controllerScope, attrs, controller.instance, bindings, controllerDirective);
             }
+          } else {
+            controller.instance = controller();
+            $element.data('$' + controllerDirective.name + 'Controller', controller.instance);
             controller.bindingInfo =
               initializeDirectiveBindings(controllerScope, attrs, controller.instance, bindings, controllerDirective);
           }