address comments

src/lib/autocomplete/autocomplete-trigger.ts

@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ import {MdOptionSelectionChange, MdOption} from '../core/option/option';
 import {ENTER, UP_ARROW, DOWN_ARROW, ESCAPE} from '../core/keyboard/keycodes';
 import {Directionality} from '../core/bidi/index';
 import {MdFormField} from '../form-field/index';
-import {MdInput} from '../input/input';
 import {Subscription} from 'rxjs/Subscription';
 import {merge} from 'rxjs/observable/merge';
 import {fromEvent} from 'rxjs/observable/fromEvent';
@@ -154,7 +153,7 @@ export class MdAutocompleteTrigger implements ControlValueAccessor, OnDestroy {
               private _changeDetectorRef: ChangeDetectorRef,
               @Inject(MD_AUTOCOMPLETE_SCROLL_STRATEGY) private _scrollStrategy,
               @Optional() private _dir: Directionality,
-              @Optional() @Host() private _inputContainer: MdFormField,
+              @Optional() @Host() private _formField: MdFormField,
               @Optional() @Inject(DOCUMENT) private _document: any) {}
 
   ngOnDestroy() {
@@ -247,8 +246,8 @@ export class MdAutocompleteTrigger implements ControlValueAccessor, OnDestroy {
       fromEvent(this._document, 'touchend')
     )).call(filter, (event: MouseEvent | TouchEvent) => {
       const clickTarget = event.target as HTMLElement;
-      const inputContainer = this._inputContainer ?
-          this._inputContainer._elementRef.nativeElement : null;
+      const inputContainer = this._formField ?
+          this._formField._elementRef.nativeElement : null;
 
       return this._panelOpen &&
              clickTarget !== this._element.nativeElement &&
@@ -330,16 +329,16 @@ export class MdAutocompleteTrigger implements ControlValueAccessor, OnDestroy {
    * This method manually floats the placeholder until the panel can be closed.
    */
   private _floatPlaceholder(): void {
-    if (this._inputContainer && this._inputContainer.floatPlaceholder === 'auto') {
-      this._inputContainer.floatPlaceholder = 'always';
+    if (this._formField && this._formField.floatPlaceholder === 'auto') {
+      this._formField.floatPlaceholder = 'always';
       this._manuallyFloatingPlaceholder = true;
     }
   }
 
   /** If the placeholder has been manually elevated, return it to its normal state. */
   private _resetPlaceholder(): void  {
     if (this._manuallyFloatingPlaceholder) {
-      this._inputContainer.floatPlaceholder = 'auto';
+      this._formField.floatPlaceholder = 'auto';
       this._manuallyFloatingPlaceholder = false;
     }
   }
@@ -409,11 +408,10 @@ export class MdAutocompleteTrigger implements ControlValueAccessor, OnDestroy {
     // The display value can also be the number zero and shouldn't fall back to an empty string.
     const inputValue = toDisplay != null ? toDisplay : '';
 
-    // If it's used in a Material container, we should set it through
-    // the property so it can go through the change detection.
-    if (this._inputContainer &&
-        this._inputContainer._control instanceof MdInput) {
-      this._inputContainer._control.value = inputValue;
+    // If it's used within a `MdFormField`, we should set it through the property so it can go
+    // through change detection.
+    if (this._formField) {
+      this._formField._control.value = inputValue;
     } else {
       this._element.nativeElement.value = inputValue;
     }
@@ -471,7 +469,7 @@ export class MdAutocompleteTrigger implements ControlValueAccessor, OnDestroy {
   }
 
   private _getConnectedElement(): ElementRef {
-    return this._inputContainer ? this._inputContainer._connectionContainerRef : this._element;
+    return this._formField ? this._formField._connectionContainerRef : this._element;
   }
 
   /** Returns the width of the input element, so the panel width can match it. */

src/lib/form-field/form-field.ts

@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ export class MdPlaceholder {}
     'class': 'mat-hint',
     '[class.mat-right]': 'align == "end"',
     '[attr.id]': 'id',
+    // Remove align attribute to prevent it from interfering with layout.
+    '[attr.align]': 'null',
   }
 })
 export class MdHint {
@@ -107,6 +109,9 @@ export abstract class MdFormFieldControl {
    */
   stateChanges: Observable<void>;
 
+  /** The value of the control. */
+  value: any;
+
   /** Gets the element ID for this control. */
   abstract getId(): string;
 
@@ -142,6 +147,7 @@ export abstract class MdFormFieldControl {
 /** Container for form controls that applies Material Design styling and behavior. */
 @Component({
   moduleId: module.id,
+  // TODO(mmalerba): the input-container selectors and classes are deprecated and will be removed.
   selector: 'md-input-container, mat-input-container, md-form-field, mat-form-field',
   templateUrl: 'form-field.html',
   // MdInput is a directive and can't have styles, so we need to include its styles here.
@@ -158,8 +164,6 @@ export abstract class MdFormFieldControl {
     ]),
   ],
   host: {
-    // Remove align attribute to prevent it from interfering with layout.
-    '[attr.align]': 'null',
     'class': 'mat-input-container mat-form-field',
     '[class.mat-input-invalid]': '_control.isErrorState()',
     '[class.mat-form-field-invalid]': '_control.isErrorState()',

src/lib/input/index.ts

@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ import {MdFormFieldModule} from '../form-field/index';
     PlatformModule,
   ],
   exports: [
-    // TODO(mmalerba): We import and re-export the form field module since all existing users of
-    // `MdInput` will need this to continue using `md-input-container`. We may want to keep this
-    // long term since the `MdInput` directive will almost always be used with `md-form-field`.
+    // We re-export the `MdFormFieldModule` since `MdInput` will almost always be used together with
+    // `MdFormField`.
     MdFormFieldModule,
     MdInput,
     MdTextareaAutosize,

src/lib/input/input.spec.ts

@@ -502,8 +502,8 @@ describe('MdInputContainer without forms', function () {
 
     fixture.detectChanges();
 
-    let hintLabel = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('.mat-hint')).nativeElement;
-    let endLabel = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('.mat-hint[align="end"]')).nativeElement;
+    let hintLabel = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('.mat-hint:not(.mat-right)')).nativeElement;
+    let endLabel = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('.mat-hint.mat-right')).nativeElement;
     let input = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('input')).nativeElement;
     let ariaValue = input.getAttribute('aria-describedby');
 

src/lib/public_api.ts

@@ -46,3 +46,6 @@ export * from './tabs/index';
 export * from './tabs/tab-nav-bar/index';
 export * from './toolbar/index';
 export * from './tooltip/index';
+
+// TODO(mmalerba): Temporary alias to avoid breakages, cleanup later.
+export {MdFormField as MdInputContainer} from './form-field/index';