Angular is an open-source web application framework developed and maintained by Google. It is designed for building scalable, enterprise-grade applications with a structured and opinionated approach. Unlike libraries such as React, Angular is a full-featured framework that includes tools for routing, state management, forms, and HTTP communication.
Angular uses TypeScript as its primary language, offering strong typing, modularity, and maintainability. Its component-based architecture allows developers to create reusable UI elements and manage complex application logic in an organised way.
Advanced
Angular provides features such as Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, dependency injection, and change detection strategies that improve performance. Angular CLI streamlines project setup, testing, and deployment through built-in tooling.
The framework also integrates with RxJS for reactive programming, enabling efficient handling of data streams and events. Angular Universal supports server-side rendering, improving SEO and load times. Its structured ecosystem makes it a strong choice for large teams and long-term projects that require consistency.
Relevance
- Offers a complete solution for large-scale, complex applications.
- Ensures maintainability with strong typing through TypeScript.
- Provides a standardised approach that reduces fragmentation.
- Backed by Google, ensuring long-term support and enterprise adoption.
Applications
- Building enterprise web applications with complex workflows.
- Developing large-scale dashboards or portals.
- Creating single-page applications with robust functionality.
- Supporting projects requiring long-term maintenance and team collaboration.
Metrics
- Application performance benchmarks (load times, rendering speed).
- Code maintainability and scalability over time.
- Developer adoption and learning curve.
- Ecosystem maturity and library compatibility.
Issues
- Steeper learning curve compared to lightweight frameworks.
- Verbose syntax and boilerplate code may slow development.
- Performance overhead for smaller projects is not optimised.
- Requires ongoing updates to stay aligned with Angular releases.
Example
A healthcare company develops a patient management portal using Angular. The framework’s built-in tools for forms, data handling, and authentication streamline development. With Angular Universal for server-side rendering, the portal loads quickly and ranks well in search results, improving accessibility for patients.