A Brief Overview of Angular Elements!

Introduced by Google in 2009, Angular is a fully-featured open-source JavaScript framework. Today, it is considered the perfect pick for the creation of robust, adaptable, and high-maintainable apps. As a result, it is largely preferred by several software professionals, small, and large businesses, and even by numerous AngularJS development services across the globe. Angular offers outstanding benefits like:

· The exceptional performance of the apps

· Captivating UI with HTML

· Simplified MVC architecture

· Google’s persistent support

· Top-grade security

· Other technical goodies like two-way data binding, POJO model, routing, flexibility with filters, etc.

Looking at these advantages, we can comprehend why Angular JS app development is so popular and is considered the next big technology in the software world.

So we have talked enough about the significance of this futuristic framework. Now we will focus on a vital section of Angular development- Angular elements and their functions.

What are Angular Elements?

Angular Elements are simple Angular components packaged as HTML custom elements. Custom elements are a part of web components. The custom elements enable the Angular developers to extend and build tags of their own and they can be utilized without any dependencies. As a result, one can make use of custom elements in Angular apps along with React or Vue apps; it can be used in the backend as well.

Library of Angular elements act as a bridge between custom web elements API and Angular components. Also, with these elements, one can leverage Angular’s dependency injection as well.

Angular elements are nothing but new HTML custom elements. These elements solve the issues related to reusing code in several frameworks. They provide a solution for using components of Angular in non-Angular environments. These elements are reusable and framework independent. Also, it is possible for Angular developers to upgrade AngularJS apps to Angular using these elements or use Angular components within the legacy AngularJS application.

For knowing Angular elements in depth, we also need to have some basic knowledge of the custom elements and web components. So let us have a glance at them too.

A bit about Custom Elements and Web Components

Angular Elements are powered by custom elements technology. These custom elements which are a part of web components are encapsulated HTML tags that are required in web pages and web applications. Web components are technologies that include HTML templates, shadow DOM, HTML imports, along with custom elements. Any framework or library that makes use of HTML can use these custom elements. They could be useful in static websites too. Developers can build customized DOM elements with their own features and functionality. Even the existing DOM elements can be modified.

For developing custom elements, an ES6 class needs to be created which is extended from an HTML element. Then this class should be registered with the browser via an API- ‘CustomElementRegistry’. There are lifecycle hooks like ‘disconnectedCallback’ and ‘connectedCallback’ in custom elements which enable the Angular developers to register interest in attributes. Additionally, custom elements, similar to other DOM elements, may have events connected with them that use ‘addEventListener’.

Basic Steps to Get Started with Angular Elements

Here are the general steps for creating a reusable custom element. We need to note that since the concept of Angular elements is in its early stages, there could be newer updates popping up later and it could impact the development environment. So, let’s look at the steps to get started.

· Creating and setting-up the project: Install latest version of Angular CLI globally.

· Create Angular element: Add Angular elements using ng add command. This command will add angular/elements packages and other packages to make the angular component as custom element. These custom elements need ES2015 classes. All browsers may not support ES2015 and custom elements, so the angular developer needs to use polyfill for the support. For polyfill, web component needs to be installed. In order to use component as angular element, one needs to first create the component or existing components can also be used.

· Use component as a custom element: Components that are referred in the templates are included by Angular bundle and rest of them are ignored. This reference is done by adding component in app Module.

· Packaging of all the elements: Developers can make the build using angular cli. This will create a dist folder with JavaScript files. So whenever these angular elements have to be used, these JavaScript files have to be added in the project.

· Testing of Angular custom element

Where can the Angular Elements be used?

Well, Angular elements can be mostly used anywhere by an AngularJS app development company. But, during the release of these elements, they are optimized for containers and apps. There is still research going on for using them conveniently for reusable widgets. So, here are some areas where Angular elements can be used:

· Elements in Apps: Dynamic components, Hybrid/Server-side rendering, CMS embeds

· Element Containers: Micro-frontends, Mini-apps, SharePoint, ngUpgrade

· Reusable Widgets: Cross-framework compatibility, Design systems- build once, use anywhere, Material/CDK components in any environment

Concluding Words:

As we already know, Angular is a new-age framework that has lots of power under its hood and Angular Elements make it all the more powerful. Also, with the help of Angular Elements library, the Angular code can be used in various applications across different frameworks. These elements boost Angular app development to a great extent.

I hope this article provided you with important insights on Angular Elements. Kindly drop us a mail at sales.enquiry@biz4solutions.com for any further queries.

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