#angular js app development

Introduced by Google in 2009, Angular is a fully-featured open-source JavaScript framework. Today, it is considered the perfect pick for the creation of robust, adaptable, and high-maintainable apps. As a result, it is largely preferred by several software professionals, small, and large businesses, and even by numerous AngularJS development services across the globe. Angular offers outstanding benefits like:

The exceptional performance of the apps

Captivating UI with HTML

Simplified MVC architecture

Google’s persistent support

Top-grade security

Other technical goodies like two-way data binding, POJO model, routing, flexibility with filters, etc.

Looking at these advantages, we can comprehend why Angular JS app development is so popular and is considered the next big technology in the software world.

So we have talked enough about the significance of this futuristic framework. Now we will focus on a vital section of Angular development- Angular elements and their functions.

What are Angular Elements?

Angular Elements are simple Angular components packaged as HTML custom elements. Custom elements are a part of web components. The custom elements enable the Angular developers to extend and build tags of their own and they can be utilized without any dependencies. As a result, one can make use of custom elements in Angular apps along with React or Vue apps; it can be used in the backend as well.

Library of Angular elements act as a bridge between custom web elements API and Angular components. Also, with these elements, one can leverage Angular's dependency injection as well.

Angular elements are nothing but new HTML custom elements. These elements solve the issues related to reusing code in several frameworks. They provide a solution for using components of Angular in non-Angular environments. These elements are reusable and framework independent. Also, it is possible for Angular developers to upgrade AngularJS apps to Angular using these elements or use Angular components within the legacy AngularJS application.

For knowing Angular elements in depth, we also need to have some basic knowledge of the custom elements and web components. So let us have a glance at them too.

A bit about Custom Elements and Web Components

Angular Elements are powered by custom elements technology. These custom elements which are a part of web components are encapsulated HTML tags that are required in web pages and web applications. Web components are technologies that include HTML templates, shadow DOM, HTML imports, along with custom elements. Any framework or library that makes use of HTML can use these custom elements. They could be useful in static websites too. Developers can build customized DOM elements with their own features and functionality. Even the existing DOM elements can be modified.

For developing custom elements, an ES6 class needs to be created which is extended from an HTML element. Then this class should be registered with the browser via an API- ‘CustomElementRegistry’. There are lifecycle hooks like ‘disconnectedCallback’ and ‘connectedCallback’ in custom elements which enable the Angular developers to register interest in attributes. Additionally, custom elements, similar to other DOM elements, may have events connected with them that use ‘addEventListener’.

Basic Steps to Get Started with Angular Elements

Here are the general steps for creating a reusable custom element. We need to note that since the concept of Angular elements is in its early stages, there could be newer updates popping up later and it could impact the development environment. So, let’s look at the steps to get started.

Creating and setting-up the project: Install latest version of Angular CLI globally.

Create Angular element: Add Angular elements using ng add command. This command will add angular/elements packages and other packages to make the angular component as custom element. These custom elements need ES2015 classes. All browsers may not support ES2015 and custom elements, so the angular developer needs to use polyfill for the support. For polyfill, web component needs to be installed. In order to use component as angular element, one needs to first create the component or existing components can also be used.

Use component as a custom element: Components that are referred in the templates are included by Angular bundle and rest of them are ignored. This reference is done by adding component in app Module.

Packaging of all the elements: Developers can make the build using angular cli. This will create a dist folder with JavaScript files. So whenever these angular elements have to be used, these JavaScript files have to be added in the project.

Testing of Angular custom element

Where can the Angular Elements be used?

Well, Angular elements can be mostly used anywhere by an AngularJS app development company. But, during the release of these elements, they are optimized for containers and apps. There is still research going on for using them conveniently for reusable widgets. So, here are some areas where Angular elements can be used:

Elements in Apps: Dynamic components, Hybrid/Server-side rendering, CMS embeds

Element Containers: Micro-frontends, Mini-apps, SharePoint, ngUpgrade

Reusable Widgets: Cross-framework compatibility, Design systems- build once, use anywhere, Material/CDK components in any environment

Concluding Words:

As we already know, Angular is a new-age framework that has lots of power under its hood and Angular Elements make it all the more powerful. Also, with the help of Angular Elements library, the Angular code can be used in various applications across different frameworks. These elements boost Angular app development to a great extent.

I hope this article provided you with important insights on Angular Elements. Kindly drop us a mail at [email protected] for any further queries.

Angular development has become one of the best approaches for designing highly-intuitive applications and when clubbed with a finely-tuned Ionic framework, the combination becomes all the more powerful and leads to the creation of beautifully designed user-centric hybrid mobile apps. This combination has already being used for countless projects worldwide. Consequently, Ionic and Angular JS app development services are highly being preferred by diverse industrial domains for various applications.

So please read the below post to know more about these vibrant technologies and the benefits that their combination offers. 

What is Angular?

Angular is an open-source framework maintained by Google. It is a client-side development framework. It was developed by Misko Hevery, an engineer at Brat Tech LLC in 2009, and was released in the market in 2012; the first version being AngularJS. This framework comes with a host of tools and libraries for the AngularJS app developers to easily be able to create robust feature-rich apps for diverse client needs. Also, it helps to develop and test the virtual platforms; as a result, it can be utilized for Enterprise apps. Some of the top features of this framework are:

Two-way data binding

Filters

Model View Controller (MVC)

Templates

Licensed under the Apache license version 2.0

Directives

What is Ionic?

Ionic is an open-source software development kit (SDK) that ensures faster and cost-effective app development of mobile apps, desktop apps, PWAs, etc. with the utilization of technologies like HTML5, CSS, SASS, etc. It was developed on top of AngularJS in the year 2013 by Max Lynch, Adam Bradley,and Ben Sperry of Drifty Co. Today, it has also added the support for React and Angular, support for Vue is still under development.

Ionic app development mainly focuses on the front-end. It is an innovative SDK that enables the development of top-grade personal and commercial apps. The development of Ionic apps is easier since Ionic is easier to learn and implement and fun for the developers. Some of the Ionic’s features are given below:

Dependency Injection

Platform Independence

Intuitive User Interface

Cordova Plugins

High Adaptability

CSS and JavaScript Components

Ionic CLI

Ionic View

MIT License

Combined Benefits of Both Technologies- Angular and Ionic

One-Stop Solution for Several Platforms: Long back, the developers needed to create separate codes for Android, Windows, iOS, etc. But AngularJS and Ionic changed this scenario and allow developing multiple apps with a single codebase. Such apps can be easily downloaded from the application stores and run on any platform or device.

Reusable App Logic: Fusing AngularJS and Ionic enables the developers to separate user interfaces, system logic, and data models. This means that the developers can parallelly reuse the logic and also customize the UI for different gadgets and different platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, etc. This reusability of the app logic has made the process less time-consuming and less expensive.

Ionic’s Components and Features: Creating innovative icons and splash screens is a challenging task, especially for hybrid app development. For developing splash screens, the developers have to consider several parameters like length, density, width, type of device, etc. Ionic is a native-style UI kit that comes with various amazing features and components for making the development process hassle-free. Ionic’s .png, .ai, or .psd extensions help in building two files that enable smooth development of icons, splash screens, etc. and aesthetically appealing designs.

Angular’s Three-way Data-Binding: Angular allows three-way data binding which means it enables simultaneous updating of the data model, UI as well as backend data in a hassle-free manner. So, when the in-memory data and UI are in sync with backend service data, the chances of user data staying complete across the devices are much higher. This also means that in Angular, it is easy to take the users’ inputs, process the information, save it on the server, and hence keeping the user interface synched with the backend is much easier.

Testability: Testing is the most essential process once the apps are developed. It is a complicated and time-intensive process. But AngularJS eases out the testing process to a certain extent due to the Dependency Injection (DI) feature. This feature lets the developers fetch the pieces of the code from anywhere and duplicates the code for testing purposes. This means that the real components are replaced for the ones that fake the functionality.

Additional Benefits of Ionic App Development: Ionic plays a significant role in app development due to its potential in debugging, performance-boosting qualities, and the ability to create attractive UI. The Ionic developers can take advantage of $ionicConfigProvider elaborate transition, style, or behavioral pattern. It creates the elements as per the device’s layout and also abides by the guidelines while utilizing the elements on diverse devices. Also, Ionic apps are built in a modular fashion, hence it is easy to update and maintenance-free.

Another noteworthy feature of the Ionic is the Command-line interface i.e. CLI. It enables the development, implementation, and testing of any application on multiple platforms using a single command. This improves productivity and saves time for developers. 

Conclusion: Combined Effect of AngularJS and Ionic

AngularJS framework is known for delivering robust performance and captivating front-end for the apps. On top of that, when it is clubbed with Ionic, it unlocks new possibilities for developing captivating apps. Ionic has attractive themes and availability of several components that help in the creation of an outstanding UI. This ultimately elevates the user experience and also retains the end-users. Moreover, both frameworks make the development process quite easier and faster for developers and cost-effective for businesses. So, if you want to build apps using Ionic and AngularJS, connect with an Ionic app development company or an AngularJS app development company and share the ideas with them to build a cutting edge app.

We hope this blog was useful to you!

AngularJS App Development is trending these days as most businesses, across diverse domains, are picking this outstanding framework to develop rich web and mobile applications. As per research statistics posted by the online portal, BuiltWith, 846,612 websites are using Angular currently and 2,848,242 websites have used Angular in the past. Needless to say, Angular’s capability to fulfill the challenging requirements of modern-day web apps is the cause of its immense popularity. PayPal, JetBlue, Lego, and Netflix are some of the noteworthy end-products of Angular App Development.

So, if you too are one of the entrepreneurs planning to hire an AngularJS App Development Company for your next project, well then, you need to possess a thorough knowledge of Angular advantages as well as disadvantages.

This article will enlighten you about the benefits and drawbacks of Angular. But, before diving deeper, let’s take a glance at its traits.

Angular in a nutshell

AngularJS, a brainchild of Google, is an open-source framework, based on the dynamic programming language, JavaScript, integrated with CSS and HTML. It has undergone multiple enhancements ever since its inception in 2010 and has become the preferred choice for creating mobile and web apps. The first version of Angular is particularly known as AngularJS and all the other versions are simply called Angular with versions incrementing from 1 to 9.

Top Benefits that AngularJS Development Services provide:

MVC and MVVM Architecture

AngularJS employs smart architectural patterns like MVC (Model-View-Controller) and MVVM (Model-View-View-Model) that enhances performance. This kind of architecture enables the separation of data from the visual representation and design and also connects the elements of the app automatically without the need for additional coding. The architecture of the later updated versions of Angular is component-based that is similar to MVC but makes the code more readable, reusable, and easy to maintain.

Two-way data binding approach and DOM manipulation

Two-way data binding is a unique approach due to which any change made in the model is instantly reflected in the view (presentation layer) and vice-versa. Moreover, this approach makes it very easy for developers to manipulate the DOM (Document Object Model) and define the logical structure of documents. Thanks to DOM manipulation, the Angular Developers have to simply translate and then update the DOM elements instead of writing a lengthy code for this purpose.

Effective Templates

Usage of simple HTML templates that are sent to the compiler as DOM elements, rather than as strings, improves workflow and eases out the process of manipulation. These templates are highly reusable too.

Usage of Directives

The directives employed by Angular organize the scripts and HTML pages and keep them free of mess. These directives also enable developers to generate independent codes by using specific functions repeatedly. Angular also allows building custom directives instead of using the pre-defined ones.

Speedy prototyping

The prototyping tool- WYSIWYG, helps developers to create app prototypes much faster without having to write too much code. The developers can also acquire feedback and make necessary changes without much ado.

CLI automation

CLI (Angular Command-line interface tool) simplifies the developmental process and enhances the code quality by automating the entire development process. Thanks to CLI, lesser commands are needed for tasks like adding features, conducting unit, and end-to-end testing.

Enhanced server performance

Angular reduces the load from server CPUs as it supports different processes and caching. Due to this, the server functions smoothly and serves static files and responds only to API calls which ultimately results in reduced traffic. Thus, server performance improves considerably with Angular.

Responsiveness

The functionalities of the Angular ecosystem lead to the creation of immensely responsive apps and websites that load faster and navigate seamlessly. Hence, the end-users enjoy an enriching experience, which is the ultimate objective of any web or mobile application.

High Testability

Angular allows end-to-end-testing and unit-testing as it builds products that are testable and also offers a set of smart testing tools like Jasmine, Protractor, and Karma. Furthermore, Dependency injections are available, which simplify testing by isolating and simulating different components. As such, testing, debugging, and implementation become way easier in apps and websites built on Angular JS.

Other Benefits of Angular

Angular developers enjoy the support from a dynamic community through discussion forums, tutorials, and third-party integrations.

TypeScript is used to write Angular, which acts in accordance with JavaScript. It helps to detect coding mistakes and eliminate them as well.

RxJS enables the handling of asynchronous data calls while the app is functioning without affecting the performance.

It has a better dependency injection which results in decoupling the dependencies from the actual components. This helps in improving the performance score for the apps built using Angular.

AngularJS Development: Drawbacks and their Possible Solutions

Challenging learning curve

It’s challenging to learn and adapt to this framework owing to the availability of limited documentation. Moreover, developers, who are not well versed in the MVC approach, find it difficult and time-consuming to master it. So, to reap the benefits of Angular, you must hire Angular developers who are skilled and experienced. Also, the Angular community is extending and improving and its support could be the savior sooner or later.

Dependency on JavaScript support

JavaScript support is essential to access AngularJS websites which is absent in many old versioned devices like PCs and laptops. This may lead to less-usage of the apps developed on AngularJS. However, such devices are rare these days.

Heavy Framework

Angular, being a bulky framework with numerous functions, works well for complex and large scale apps only. These functionalities confuse developers, consume more time to get implemented, and are not required in building smaller applications with simpler requirements.

Debugging Scopes

Angular is organized and layered in a hierarchical manner, hence scopes can be difficult to manage and handle if the developer does not have prior knowledge of Angular. Debugging the scope is one of the difficult tasks too.

Other drawbacks of Angular

Angular offers limited options for SEO and so search engine crawlers are not easily accessible.

Angular developers face hiccups as the official CLI documentation available on GitHub, lacks sufficient information.

Implementation of features like directives, dependency injections, becomes complicated and time-intensive for developers without prior Angular experience.

Backward compatibility issues

Final verdict

Angular is a sophisticated framework that facilitates the creation of dynamic and cutting-edge web and mobile apps. Like other frameworks, Angular also has its share of shortcomings. But, its strengths undoubtedly overpower its drawbacks.