in angularjs how to access the element that triggered the event?

The general Angular way to get access to an element that triggered an event is to write a directive and bind() to the desired event:

app.directive('myChange', function() {
  return function(scope, element) {
    element.bind('change', function() {
      alert('change on ' + element);
    });
  };
});

or with DDO (as per @tpartee’s comment below):

app.directive('myChange', function() {
  return { 
    link:  function link(scope, element) {
      element.bind('change', function() {
        alert('change on ' + element);
      });
    }
  }
});

The above directive can be used as follows:

<input id="searchText" ng-model="searchText" type="text" my-change>

Plunker.

Type into the text field, then leave/blur. The change callback function will fire. Inside that callback function, you have access to element.

Some built-in directives support passing an $event object. E.g., ng-*click, ng-Mouse*. Note that ng-change does not support this event.

Although you can get the element via the $event object:

<button ng-click="clickit($event)">Hello</button>

$scope.clickit = function(e) {
    var elem = angular.element(e.srcElement);
    ...

this goes “deep against the Angular way” — Misko.

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