Angular is one of the most popular open-source JavaScript frameworks. It is backed by Google, and used to build web applications with a rich feature set that makes JavaScript code much simpler and well-structured. It is also used to develop gadget applications. Google has released several editions since 2009. The first version of AngularJS was designed to create dynamic Single Page Applications. Typically, the term “angular development service” is applied to Angular-2 (2016) and all subsequent versions.
When You Need Angular
Angular is better suited for large projects with a rigid structure. It has many ready-made solutions and a well-thought-out system for collecting and storing information. This simplifies the structure of websites and ensures that they function reliably.
It’s possible to use Angular for hybrid and SPA applications. The latter are one-page sites designed in such a way that by going to the pseudo-page the user doesn’t download new information. Only dynamic data is updated. It turns out that loading is necessary only once, regardless of which page the user got to first. On standard sites, a new page is pulled up separately — people with a poor-quality connection are forced to wait, watching a blank screen.
A new generation of SPA applications is called PWA, it is being created so that the site can work offline. It can be quickly downloaded to gadgets. This is indeed possible, and Angular is used for this, but at the same time, such a product will not load dynamic data.
Any technology is suitable for solving certain problems, and for a number of others, it would be more appropriate to use other approaches. It is easy to write any project in Angular, but it is more difficult to understand whether this solution is really optimal or worth using. On these issues, you can always consult with specialists, such as those at Digiteum.
How It Was Before
Angular works on the principle of a single-page application. To understand what it is, you must first understand what it is not. The traditional approach to web applications was like this:
- the user went to the site
- the browser sent a server request to find the desired address
- the server found the page and passed it to the site
- the user looked at this page and clicked on a link
- the browser generated a second request, and the server collected a new page and returned it to the site again; the cycle was repeated after each user action.
Compared to the process of eating in a restaurant, you can only order one dish at a time. First, you need to eat a salad and only then drink cola. But first, you need to wait until it is brought. Slow sites annoyed everyone, and the developers came up with SPA — first, the technology appeared, and then — Angular and other tools to implement it.
How Angular Works
1. Components
Angular apps are made up of independent components, and each has its own behavior. The news feed is one component, responsible for displaying the news list on the page. The Read button is another — responsible for following from the news list page to the selected news.
A component is programmed to display an element on the screen and perform some action. The component can respond to a click, collapse, expand, hide, flip to another page, and so on.
Components are subject to life cycles — they change and work according to several programmed scenarios. If a transition is made from the news list page to a specific news item, the News Feed component is destroyed and, if necessary, re-created. Lifecycles clear memory and raise the speed of the application.
2. Modules
Components are connected to the main or additional modules. Modules manage components. The main module controls the entire application, and additional modules monitor the operation of individual elements. There are many additional modules. They perform a narrow task, obey the main module and are needed to unload it — they are responsible for navigation, animation, component storage, interaction with the browser, etc.
3. Services
For complex operations, services are used instead of components. They are responsible only for the set of logical operations for which they are intended. We can connect to the “Tables” service. This will help you keep track of pages with a lot of data that change the content of the site after updates. The Tables service will not perform any other actions.
4. Directives
Sometimes one component with the same logic is used in different parts of the application. If you click on the currency switch button and select a dollar, then a dollar sign should appear next to all prices. This icon can be obtained using components and directives.
It takes a long time to put down the components — if there are a thousand positions with a price, then a component with a dollar sign is needed next to all of them. Directives simplify the process — you create one new block, and it will be responsible for the dollar sign next to all prices on the site.
5. Forms
Any application has forms with fields and buttons: send, save, leave a phone number, and so on. In Angular, for these forms, you don’t need to think through the logic and spend time on development — just select blocks with suitable forms and connect them to the main module.
The Right Developer
JavaScript is a multi-faceted language used for everything: front-end, back-end, mobile, and browser extensions. Without a doubt, Angular is one of the most powerful JS frameworks out there. This framework has a solid list of benefits and enjoys huge support from Google and its strong developer community.
If you want to hire talented Angular developers, you should do a lot of research and preparation, from studying resumes and experience to identifying the right requirements. Try to start with Digiteum. It’s important to understand that you need not only highly qualified specialists but also a strong development team that can collaborate effectively and achieves the best results in the short term.
