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Angular: A Crash Course on the New Features and Updates

by Vishank

Angular is certainly one of the most popular open-source JavaScript frameworks. It is used for web app development by developers from all across the globe. Since the release of its first version by Google in 2009, the Angular 8 framework has brought a notable list of changes and updates for providing exceptional functionality and performance along with a matchless user experience.

Angular recently released the latest version on 23rd May 2019 with a lot of new and attractive features, which ultimately makes it more competent and distinctive as compared to its previous versions. Today, most web developers from all around the world are switching to this robust JavaScript framework for simplifying their web app development tasks alongside boosting their productivity and ROI.

WrapPixel also uses Angular 8 JavaScript frameworks for developing pre-defined Angular Templates and Dashboards for front-end and back-end web app development. So, let’s find out what the Angular 8 JS framework brings to the table and how can it benefit its users.

What’s New in Angular?

Angular 8 JavaScript frameworks have arrived with a bouquet of workflow and a new set of powerful and innovative features such as Command Line Interface, Angular Ivy, Angular Material Library, core JavaScript framework, and many more. There are many other significant changes within Angular 8 JavaScript frameworks that Angular developers will admire.

For example, Angular 8 has enabled several new launch partners like Angular Console for operating Angular projects, Angular Fire for amalgamating Firebase with Angular, and NativeScript and StackBlitz for developing native mobile apps.

The list of new features and amazing benefits of Angular 8 JS frameworks is never-ending. So, let’s go over and summarize the significant new features and advantages of Angular 8 in conjunction with learning the right way of upgrading Angular seven web apps to Angular 8.

Angular Ivy

If you have been following Angular frameworks, then you would’ve probably encountered the term ‘Ivy.’ Angular Ivy is a notable change in the history of Angular frameworks. It refers to a different angular renderer that uses incremental DOM.

This angular renderer is used for changing the internal functioning of Angular JavaScript frameworks without altering the Angular web applications. Angular Ivy focuses on rewriting the runtime code as well as the Angular compiler to accomplish:

●   Improved build times through an incremental approach

●   Enhanced backward compatibility

●   Lazy loading of components instead of modules.

●    Better and more compatible payload sizes

How Angular 8’s Ivy Works on Incremental DOM?

The main plan behind Incremental DOM is to compile every pre-built element and ready-to-use component into a series of instructions, and these instructions eventually create DOM trees. The template functions are the rendering engines, and hence, they contain all the necessary instructions that are required for rendering as well as updating DOM trees in case of data change.

You need to know that Angular Ivy works on two main concepts:

A) Low Memory Footprint – Incremental DOM doesn’t require any memory to re-render the view, and therefore, it allocates the memory in case of the addition or removal of DOM nodes. Since most of the template or render calls don’t change, it eventually results in huge memory savings.

B) Tree Shakable – It refers to the removal of unused code scraps to allow web apps to focus on codes that are being used. This exclusion of unused instructions eventually results in smaller bundles and faster run time.

WrapPixel preferably uses Angular Ivy in place of the Angular View Engine, as it offers the following benefits to the users.

●   Angular Ivy offers a reduced payload size to allow browsers to take less time to parse or download your web apps.

●   The code sections that are generated by the Angular compiler are much easier for web developers to read and understand.

●   Angular Ivy significantly lessens the rebuild times.

●    It provides better Angular 8 template type checking to enable users and developers to catch more errors at build times as well as prevent them at app runtime.

Angular Ivy intends to be largely compatible with the existing Angular web apps, which means that you can get all of Angular Ivy’s advantages without having to change your web apps.

Differential Loading

Different Loading of modern JavaScript is another excellent feature of Angular 8 that could improve the performance of Angular web apps. This new feature eventually allows the Angular CLI-generated web apps to contain separate bundles for modern JavaScript as well as legacy JavaScript.

The correct bundle is loaded automatically by the browser and is further used for downloading smaller and more efficient web app bundles with quick loading and fast rendering.

Angular has lately announced that from Angular 8 onwards, the CLI will produce separate legacy bundles and modern JavaScript bundles as a part of the overall build process. It means that using Angular 8 frameworks will result in boosted loading speed and enhanced TTI (Time to Interaction) for modern browsers.

This is why WrapPixel makes the best use of the feature-packed Angular 8 JavaScript framework for creating highly responsive and dynamic angular 8 themes. Further listed are a few significant benefits of the differential loading feature of Angular 8 frameworks.

●   Creates web-optimized bundles for modern browsers.

●   Allows browsers to load the right set of bundles.

●   Creates legacy bundles for older web browsers.

●    Automates the browser loading process by aiding a CLI extension.

Enhanced Web Worker Bundling

Angular 8 incorporates web workers that are exceedingly essential for enhancing performance and parallelizability while building the production bundles. It means that Angular 8 is adding dynamic building support to CLI, thereby providing one bundle for every web worker.

Angular Router Backwards Compatibility

Angular 8 JavaScript framework features supplementary backward compatibility mode for Angular router. It ultimately helps to upgrade larger projects by allowing the lazy loading of various parts of Angular v1.x web apps. Using Angular 8 can help users directly upgrade their Angular 1.x web apps to Angular 2.x.

Bazel Support

The possibility of Angular frameworks to build CLI web applications using Bazel is simply outstanding. You need to know that the angular framework embraces the Bazel Support for web developers.

Bazel Support is also included in version 9 of Angular CLI and is readily available as an opt-in. The prime benefits of the Bazel Support feature of the Angular 8 framework are as follows:

●   The Bazel Support feature of the Angular 8 JavaScript framework allows developers to build front-ends and back-ends using the same tool.

●   Bazel offers faster build time by aiming for reproducible builds. It also allows the Angular web app to use several libraries and modules during its development.

●   Bazel provides incremental build by triggering the smallest build to eventually deploy the changes within the entire web app.

●    Enhances the possibility to have remote builds on the build farm.

Lazy Loading

It is an incredible feature of Angular 8, and it is based on the concepts of angular routing. Lazy loading helps to bring down the large file sizes by lazily loading the required files.

WrapPixel is aware of the fact that in the previous angular versions, the framework’s route configuration uses @loadChildren to accept a string excusing any wrong module name or code typos.

However, Angular 8 includes added support with dynamic imports for router configuration. This use of import statements for lazy module loading eventually allows it to be understood by web packs and IDEs.

Opt-in Usage Sharing

Angular CLI has gained another new feature for aligning with the community needs ad it is opt-in usage sharing. This incredible feature of the Angular 8 framework enables opt-in sharing of Angular CLI usage with the Angular team along with allowing Angular 8 to collect essential data and user commands.

Builders API

The all-new Angular 8 allows the developers to use Builders API. Developers can use these Builders APIs for performing several main operations like building, testing, linting, serving, and e2e. The builder’s API are functions that can easily implement the behavior and logic for different web app development tasks by replacing commands. You can easily create custom builders with the help of Angular 8 frameworks.

CLI Workflow Enhancements

It is a well-known fact that the Angular CLI is constantly improving. The principle directives of the Angular JavaScript framework i.e., ng-Build, ng run, and ng-Test are also well equipped with extended 3rd party libraries for enhanced workflow.

API Migration Improvements

The angular team provides support for web developers by upgrading AngularJS frameworks as well as integrating them with AngularJS location service in hybrid apps. A new package is also integrated within Angular 8 to help web developers:

●   Track all location changes.

●   Retrieve the Angular state from location services.

●   Test the location service using Mock Platform Location API.

●    Retrieve hostname protocol search properties available in AngularJS.

Service Worker

Angular JavaScript frameworks incorporate service worker implementation. The Angular Service Worker, along with the Angular CLI-PWA, supports the angular developers to take complete advantage of enhanced performance and better reliability. With the Angular Service Worker feature, the developers can easily accomplish native-like web application download and installation without any coding.

Updated Typescript

The latest version of the Angular JavaScript framework is well-integrated with Angular dependencies and other essential tools like Typescript c3.4 and RxJS. You will also find new web apps that are created using Angular CLI with a new Typescript version.

It is also important for you to know that Angular 8 officially provides added firebase support to enable web developers to employ their web applications using Angular CLI.

Deprecated APIs

Angular 8 aims to balance liveliness, stability, and innovation within its JavaScript framework. It eventually keeps the powerful and interactive Angular 8 open-source frameworks updated with the help of innovative platforms, changing dependencies, and other latest practices.

Angular JavaScript frameworks can make the transitions easy with the help of deprecated APIs and features. This ultimately provides adequate time for web developers to update web apps using the best practices and latest APIs.

 

The Amazing Benefits of Angular 8

 

Although WrapPixel has been making efficient use of the previous versions of Angular, it is unquestioned that in the making of the fresh new Angular HTML templates, the latest features of Angular 8 have proved to be very significant. With Angular 8, you can easily enjoy the web applications of Ivy along with differential loading and exceptional performance gains. Other benefits of Angular 8 include:

●   High Performance

●   Readability

●   Reusability

●   Maintainability

●   Unit-Test Friendly

●   Component-based architecture

●   Higher-Quality Coding

●   Updated Typescript with cleaner code, better tooling, and higher scalability

●   Angular universal

●   Multiple Angular elements

●   RxJS for asynchronous and efficient programming

●   Angular universal

●   Ivy renderer

●   Platform-agnostic philosophy

●   Google’s long-term support

●   Seamless updates with Angular CLI

●    Angular Material Design Interface Engineering

How to Update from Angular 7 to Angular 8?

Updating from the Angular 7 JavaScript framework to the Angular 8 is quite easy. Developers who use HTTP clients can easily upgrade it to RxJS6 with the help of Angular 8. Below listed are a few important things that you must consider while updating from the Angular 7 JS framework to Angular 8.

●   It is imperative for you to use the 12th version of Node.js to update your Angular framework to Angular 8. To check your current version of the node, you can run the $ node v-command.

●   It is possible for different syntax errors to occur because of the presence of typescript version 3.4. It might cause some issues to upgrade to Angular 8.

●    While upgrading from Angular 7 to Angular 8, it is imperative for you to update the Angular Material in the application with the help of the $ ng-update command.

Final Thoughts on Angular

Summing up all the above-listed features and benefits, Google’s Angular team has done a great job by developing an incredibly dynamic and interactive framework. Angular 8 is a much more accessible solution that aims at certain essential modern technological trends.

With every new release and unified Angular location services, this framework has ultimately made the platform much better and simpler than it ever was. It is a boon to WrapPixel and its users.

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