Table of content
- Core Differences Between Angular and AngularJS
- Key Features | Angular Vs. AngularJs
- Features of AngularJS
- Features of Angular
- AngularJs vs Angular, Which is Better in terms of Performance?
- Comparing Angular vs. AngularJS Learning Curve
- Making an Important Decision | When to Choose Angular and AngularJS?
- Is Moving from AngularJS to Angular Easier?
- Future of AngularJS vs. Angular
- Final Thoughts
Released in 2010, AngularJs is built on JavaScript, but Angular was introduced in 2016, and its entirely written on TypeScript, JavaScript’s superset. According to Builtwith statistics, AngularJs is used in 7.41% of the top 1 million websites and Angular is powering the 1.18% of websites in the top 1 million.
AngularJs follows a declarative programming style, which has proven pivotal in building dynamic web applications. Given its simplicity and ease of use Angular underwent rapid adoption and quickly became a popular choice to build Single-Page Applications (SPAs).
Angular, on the other hand, was built to address the limitations of AngularJs. It’s built as a more performant, scalable, and maintainable framework and represents a significant leap forward in terms of web development technology.
Even though Angular addresses the limitations of its predecessor, what’s holding developers back from switching from AngularJs to Angular, and what are the reasons for choosing either one of them? Let’s find out.
Core Differences Between Angular and AngularJS
After knowing what is Angular vs AngularJs, let’s move on to discussing their core differences. Angular vs AngularJs is a debatable question that gets developers scratching their heads and scrambling for reasons to find out which one’s the best. Even though both are Google’s products, these frontend JavaScript frameworks are used for building dynamic web applications; there are some stark differences.
1.Architecture of Angular vs. AngularJS
AngularJs has a Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture where the central component helps with data management, logic, and setting rules. It also helps express how SPAs will behave.
In the MVC architecture, Model is where the management of data in the application is stored. View is responsible for generating the output of data, but after reviewing the information present in the model. Controller receives the input and then converts it into commands that will then be sent to Model and View.
Angular, on the other hand, uses components-based architecture. Developers are particularly fond of this property as this sort of structure helps break down the application into smaller and reusable components. This makes it easier to manage and maintain the application. This is because each element runs on its template, logic, and styling, which makes the process much faster and easier for the developers.
2.Programming Language
AngularJS uses JavaScript, which is a powerful language and a lot of other frameworks are built on it. However, JavaScript is also known to lead to some inconsistencies and errors, which must be handled meticulously to avoid any discrepancies in the development process.
Angular uses TypeScript, which is a JavaScript-typed superset and is built to zip the gaps left by JavaScript. TypeScript features like static typing, interfaces, and classes can preemptively catch development errors early in the process and help improve code quality.
3.Support for Mobile and Performance Improvements
Angularjs app development services, no doubt about that, but it will need a lot of tweaking to ensure the application you build does not run into issues. Especially performance issues that can arise due to the older architecture.
Angular is better here as its component-based architecture has better uses of TypeScript. This includes faster rendering and a smoother user experience, which is exactly what you need for mobile devices.
Key Features Angular Vs. AngularJs
Angular and AngularJs are powerful frameworks developers use for building web applications. Their popularity and applications stem from the features and functionalities and understanding of how they improve the development proce
Features of AngularJS
1.Two-Way Data Binding
Two-way data binding enables automatic synchronization of data between model and view, which means developers can build even the most complex applications with ease without running into performance issues.
2.Directives and Templates
With Angular, you can extend HTML with directives in the form of customized elements and attributes. Through these, developers can reuse components and define custom behavior for the application.
3.Dependency Injection (DI)
With DI, you can program AngularJs to manage the creation and lifecycle of objects. As a result, it improves testability and code maintainability, which are the primary Benefits of AngularJS Development.
Features of Angular
1.Component-Based Architecture
As we have discussed before, Angular’s component-based architecture is effective in creating modular applications that not only perform as intended but are also easier to maintain.
2.Typescript and ES6 Features
Since Angular leverages TypeScript for the development work, it offers better code quality and allows you to catch errors early in the process. Following ES6 features means the code you write will be more understandable and easier to maintain.
3.CLI And Improved Tooling Support
A compliant Command-Line Interface (CLI) brings along a rich ecosystem of tools and libraries that leads to simplified development, including project creation, code generation, and testing.
AngularJs vs Angular, Which is Better in terms of Performance?
The short answer: Angular offers a better performance driven through the better change detection and rendering process relative to AngularJs. Also, AngularJS does not have native mobile support, but Angular has it, which again makes it more reliable for performance-ready mobile applications.
We will review Angular vs. AngularJS performance in three aspects;
1.Change Detection in Angular Vs. Digest Cycle in AngularJS
Angular’s change detection is a mechanism that aligns the View and component’s data model. In other words, it ensures the data and expression values you use in templates during development change and update according to the DOM.
Using Zone.Js, Angular creates a tree-like structure of change detectors and allocates one to each component during the development process. This change detection works based on triggers, which can be anything from user input to component events.
Applications built with Angular have a built-in mechanism where current values are compared with the previously registered ones on the change detection tree. In case changes are observed, the DOM updates the corresponding parts to reflect the new value.
In AngularJs, you will find the digest cycle that also checks for the changes in model values, and by checking them, it updates View accordingly. So, it’s also a process that synchronizes View and Model and is also crucial for Angular’s Two-Way data binding.
Experts agree that Angular’s change detection is much more efficient than AngularJS’s digest cycle.
2.Application Size and Load Times
Another key differentiation we consider to assess performance in Angular vs AngularJS is how each of them changes the application size and its load time. Speaking from experience, we have seen applications built with AngularJS have a larger size due to its older architecture and the unnecessary code.
Not only does it increase size, but it also extends the load times, which again affects performance and hinders user experience.
But when it comes to Angular, the application size is less and load times are faster. This is because Angular uses a smaller bundle size, compared to AngularJS. AngularJS boasts a modern architecture and optimization techniques as we have discussed above.
3.Optimization Techniques
Angular and AngularJS both offer a wide range of optimization techniques, but at the end of the day, we need to know which one’s better.
In AngularJS, three optimization techniques are used; Minification and uglification reduce the file size of the JavaScript and CSS files. In addition to this, there’s Lazy Loading, which brings up modules only when required to reduce the initial load time.Lastly, AngularJS uses caching, which stores frequently used data in memory, which means if the same element is required again, it won’t have to load from scratch, saving unnecessary recalculations.
Coming to Angular employs Ahead of Time (AOT) compilation, where it compiles templates and components during development, which improves performance.
Angular also uses tree shaking to eliminate unused code from the final codebase. Then, you will see server-side rendering in Angular, which renders the initial HTML code on the server as it improves performance SEO metrics.
Both Angular and AngularJS have their strengths, but Angular offers better performance and is more efficient. All credit goes to its change detection mechanism, smaller bundle sizes, and advanced optimization techniques.
Comparing Angular vs. AngularJS Learning Curve
For beginners, knowing the difficulty of learning a new technology is a great help. Knowing the difficulty in learning helps them be prepared for what’s about to come next. With this in mind, here’s a learning curve analysis of Angular vs. AngularJS.
1.Learning Angular and AngularJS
AngularJS’s declarative syntax and two-way data binding are always easier to grasp, which means it’s easier to grasp, especially for those with an understanding of JavaScript.
Learning Angular can be more complex, given its component-based architecture and TypeScript-based programming. But what’s complex is made easier with Angular’s CLI and the tools that come along to make the process smoother.
2.Community Support and Availability of Resources
With AngularJS, you will find a wide range of resources and documentation, tutorials, and even courses. Although the majority of these resources are old and not updated, so choose carefully.
Angular, in addition to its thriving community, also has extensive latest documentation, tutorials, and many third-party tools and libraries you can use to learn its usage and applications.
Making an Important Decision | When to Choose Angular and AngularJS?
Knowing when to use which technology in Angular vs AngularJS has a big impact on your project’s success. For a beginner to see the difference in usage is also crucial to ensure they don’t make mistakes.
| AngularJS | Angular |
|---|---|
| Use AngularJS to maintain and update your legacy applications. Using the same technology instead of switching to another one is cost-efficient and involves much less work. | Since Angular came after AngularJS, it’s well-suited for large-scale, complex, and enterprise-level applications. This is possible because of Angular’s component-based architecture. |
| AngularJS is the right choice for smaller applications with less complex requirements. This is because of AngularJS’ simple architecture and easy learning curve. | Secondly, for projects that demand a modular structure and a higher performance, use Angular. Here, Angular’s AOT compilation, tree shaking, and architecture are crucial. |
| AngularJS is compatible with older browser versions. This means you can build web applications for systems that are still using older browsers. | Unlike AngularJS, Angular received extensive support from Google. This long-term support is effective in maintaining the framework’s compatibility with future web standards. |
Is Moving from AngularJS to Angular Easier?
In a few years time, brands won’t have any other option but to migrate from AngularJS to Angular. Taking our discussion above as evidence, it’s beneficial for brands to move from AngularJS to Angular.
To migrate, create your strategy and use ngUpgrade, or you must rewrite the code base. The process can be completed easily with the Angular Upgrade Module, which facilitates a smooth transition while helping you maintain the application’s functionality.
Challenges in Migrating from AngularJS to Angular
- You will face significant architectural modifications, including breaking changes in code, refactoring, and code testing. This is akin to writing an entire application’s code from scratch.
- As we have said before, using Angular has a learning curve. So, understanding its new concepts, components, directives, services, etc., is also challenging.
- Not all tools and technologies you need for migration are compatible with AngularJS. So, either you need to do the work of that tool manually or find an alternative.
Tools and Strategies for Migration
Check out the following tools and technologies
- NgUpgrade (Library)
- Angular Update Guide (Documentation)
- TSLing and Codelyzer (Static analysis tool)
- Angular CLI:Angular (Offers in-built tools to speed up the process)
For the best practices, we recommend moving forward gradually and converting all components one by one. This will minimize disruption to the existing codebase. Most importantly, refactor your code to align it with Angular’s best practices and conventions to make the migration process even smoother.
How Does Angular vs AngularJS Communities Differ?
If you are asking in terms of community, AngularJs vs Angular, which is better, there isn’t a simple answer. Both technologies have large and active communities that provide extensive support and resources.
Even though AngularJS’s popularity has declined over time, it still has plenty of resources and community support.
Simultaneously, Angular has a thriving community, which is growing at an unprecedented rate. With extensive documentation, tutorials, and a wide range of third-party tools, it has a rich ecosystem fit for learning.
Future of AngularJS vs. Angular
Well, there’s no future with AngularJS as its End-of-Life (EOL) reached on 31st December 2021. Ever since Google has stopped making any updates to AngularJS, and they don’t even provide support.
As for Angular, it’s a thriving framework that continues to enjoy Google’s support and gets frequent updates. You can expect to get more performance improvements, tools to improve developer experience, and ecosystem growth with third-party libraries and tools.
With Angular, keep an eye on the following updates and trends;
- Ivy Renderer for performance improvements
- Component Libraries like Material and PrimeNG
- Advancements in Server-Side Rendering
- WebAssembly Integration for new use cases.
Final Thoughts
It’s clear by now that if you or your clients are still using AngularJS, they have to make the transition to Angular. Sooner or later, you won’t find any latest browsers and devices compatible with AngularJS. Hence, it’s essential that you understand the differences between the two.
As for your question on AngularJS vs Angular, which is better, the latter is an obvious choice. If you are also looking to hire Angular developers to build new projects or migrate from AngularJS to Angular, Helius can help.
We have the experience and expertise in building Angular applications from scratch or for migrating your existing applications to Angular. Find out more by getting in touch with us.
