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Perhaps, no JS framework embraced changes in Javascript as readily as Angular did now. There are two dominating types: AngularJS and Angular 2. Read this article till the end to find out our use cases when Angular is a much better choice. On our channel, we share our experience and insights from the world of tech, follow us not to miss anything.
- AngularJS is an open source framework for web front-end development. Its main difference from Angular 2 is that it’s based on pure Javascript.
- When you see a name Angular with no JS attached to it, it refers to Angular 2. Angular 2 is based on Typescript, we will share our experience of working with each of the frameworks and highlight their differences.
Language
All these frameworks use Javascript but Angular 2 also uses Typescript under the hood. It’s a superset for JS that has such benefits as:
- Static typing
- It catches bugs in real time and
- It has a lot of additional integrations with IDEs.
We have a detailed comparison of Typescript and Javascript on our channel, we recommend reading it.
Code Generator
- Angular 2 uses Command Line Interface – CLI that helps initialize, develop and maintain Angular applications directly from a command shell.
- AngularJS doesn’t have such a benefit.
Components vs Controllers
- AngularJS is based on the MVC model. This means that the basic component of this architecture manages the data and the rules. Is the model, the view displays output based on the data in the model? The controller gathers input, processes it and converts it into commands that are sent to the model and the view.
- Angular 2 is based on the concept of the component architecture where the basic UI element is represented by a component. Components replace controllers from AngularJS. To put it simply, any component is basically a directive with a template, its main purpose is to handle the view and the logic of the page.
Two-way Binding
- AngularJS has the possibility to automatically update the application view in regards to changes in its state. This process is also known as two-way binding.
- Angular 2 changed its binding logic, now you need to create the directives manually. The one-way binding allows working with a more organized and better isolated code base.
Form Validation
In Angular 2, the validation form is not different from AngularJS. It is performed on the template basis and executed with Javascript. However, in Angular 2, form validation became secure and more intuitive. We now get more insights into how users are interacting with forms and more options for improving this experience.
Routing
Routing is used to manage users actions in the app and define which portion of the page a user will see after any action. By creating a routing app, developers use Angular router to control the navigation on the page and interpret the user’s actions. In Angular, the process itself became much easier.
Performance
Speed
This can be easily a decisive difference for many developers. Low performance is one of the main cons AngularJS is criticized for. This is why when the original development team decided to work on Angular 2, they dedicated a lot of effort to solving this issue and improving the performance.
For instance, even though two-way binding makes the lives of developers easier, it makes the client browser process a lot of data, which slows the page load down.
Angular 2 optimized the whole process and with the help of Angular universal, you can decrease the processing on the client side. Angular 2 has improved performance due to a better structure and tree based change detection algorithm. Besides, the hierarchical dependency injection system contributes to boosting the performance as well. So, it is easier to create big and complex applications with Angular 2.
Codebase Size
Javascript has an advantage over Typescript. It’s brief and doesn’t have additional transpilation. Yet, new Angular 2 uses Typescript, so the process of development and the speed of application both slightly drop.
Learning Curve and Ecosystem
We know this feeling when learning AngularJS. As for Angular 2, the main issue is learning Typescript. Still, we don’t think this is such a big of a deal.
Use Cases
They are pretty much the same as for AngularJS and Angular. In our opinion, the presence of Typescript widens the scope of Angular even further. Making it great for highly ambitious projects.
Enterprise Web Apps
We recommend using Angular for its use of optional static typing and Angular’s ability to catch bugs in real time helps avoid critical issues. This is especially relevant for companies that operate in industries like Healthcare, Finance and Transportation. Angular is also more suitable for big teams.
Dynamic Apps
We think Angular is the best option for single page applications. It’s fast, quickly changing and reactive to user actions.
Progressive Web Apps
PWA looks like a mobile app but it can be accessed via a browser with no download or installation.
Angular was one of the first frameworks to take this architecture seriously and tailor their updates with PWAs in mind.
This article was prepared by the EZtek team. We provide software development UI/UX design, QA and testing services. Contact us if you are looking for a software development partner!
