Angular is an open-source web framework used to build dynamic web applications. The framework is developed and maintained by Google. Angular enables the development of scalable, maintainable, and well-organized applications by using components, services, and a clear project structure.
While traditional websites often reload the entire page with each user action, Angular allows developers to build single-page applications (SPAs). In SPAs, the application loads once, and only the necessary parts of the page are updated as users navigate or interact. This results in faster load times and a smoother user experience.
Angular is built on TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript. TypeScript provides static type checking and modern programming features, allowing developers to catch errors earlier and write more scalable, maintainable code.
Angular’s development started at Google in 2009. The first version was launched in 2010 under the name AngularJS. At the time, it was a revolutionary framework because it introduced data binding and dependency injection to web development. AngularJS made it easier to build dynamic web applications without needing extensive manual DOM manipulation.
Although AngularJS became popular quickly, developers eventually ran into its limitations. The architecture wasn't well-suited for the growing demands of modern web applications. As a result, Google decided to completely rebuild the framework. In 2016, Angular 2 was released. The "JS" part of the name was dropped, since it was now a completely new product written in TypeScript.
Since Angular 2, the framework is simply called Angular. It’s important to note that Angular and AngularJS are not the same; Angular is the modern, redesigned version.
After Angular 2, many versions have followed. Google follows a fixed release schedule, with major updates roughly twice a year. Each release includes improvements, bug fixes, and sometimes new features, while maintaining backward compatibility as much as possible.
Some key milestones include:
Angular 4 (2017): Improved speed and smaller bundle sizes.
Angular 6 (2018): Introduction of ng update and ng add commands in the CLI.
Angular 9 (2020): Launch of Ivy, the new rendering engine.
Angular 12+ (2021 and beyond): Continued optimizations, modernizations, and better support for modern browser standards.
Angular is actively maintained by Google. The framework follows a clear support policy: each major release gets at least 18 months of support, 6 months of active development followed by 12 months of long-term support (LTS). This gives companies a reliable update schedule for long-term planning.
Angular is built around a set of core concepts. These help keep applications scalable and maintainable, even in larger projects.
In Angular, everything is built using components. A component is a self-contained block of code that controls a specific part of the user interface. Examples include a navigation bar, a form, or a product overview. Each component consists of three parts:
A TypeScript class containing the logic.
An HTML template for the visual layout.
An optional CSS stylesheet for styling.
This structure makes the code reusable and easy to test.
Templates form the visual layer of a component. They display data from the component through data binding. Angular uses its own syntax for this. For example:
<p>{{ username }}</p>This automatically displays the value of username.
Templates also support dynamic rendering, allowing developers to:
Apply conditions (e.g., show elements only if certain values meet conditions).
Render lists using loops.
Handle user interactions such as clicks or keystrokes.
Data binding ensures that the data and view stay in sync at all times. Angular supports multiple types:
One-way binding: data flows from the component to the template.
Two-way binding: data flows back and forth between the template and component, useful for forms or interactive elements.
For two-way binding, Angular often uses the [(ngModel)] syntax.
Angular uses dependency injection to efficiently manage dependencies. Instead of having a component create its own instances (for example, of a service), Angular automatically provides the right instance. This makes code more loosely coupled, testable, and maintainable.
Directives are special instructions that change the behavior of a template. There are three main types:
Structural directives: modify the DOM structure, such as ngIf (for conditional rendering) and ngFor (for lists).
Attribute directives: modify the appearance or behavior of an element.
Custom directives: user-defined extensions for reusable logic.
Routing allows developers to create multiple pages or views within a single-page application. The URL changes, but the page as a whole remains loaded. Routes are defined centrally and linked to components.
Services contain shared logic that can be used by multiple components. Typical use cases include API calls, calculations, or data storage. Services help keep components small and focused.
In addition to Angular’s core framework, there are several tools and extensions that make development faster and more efficient.
The Angular Command Line Interface (CLI) is a powerful tool that automates many development tasks. With simple commands, developers can:
Start new projects
Generate components, services, and modules
Build and test applications
Lint and optimize code
This saves time and helps maintain a consistent project structure.
Example of creating a new project using the CLI:
ng new my-projectBy default, Angular applications are rendered entirely in the browser. This can negatively affect SEO and load times. Angular Universal allows parts of the application to be rendered on the server beforehand. The benefits include:
Better search engine indexing
Faster load times for users
Improved performance on slow networks
For building user interfaces, Angular offers Angular Material, an official UI library based on Google’s Material Design. It provides ready-to-use components like:
Buttons
Dialogs
Tables
Forms
Besides Angular Material, there are many third-party libraries available, such as:
NGXS / NGRX for state management
PrimeNG for rich UI components
RxJS (included by default) for reactive programming
Like any framework, Angular comes with its strengths and some challenges. Below is a clear overview.
Angular is fully open-source and free to use. The active community regularly contributes improvements and solutions.
Thanks to its modular structure and clear project organization, Angular works well for both small applications and large enterprise projects.
Since Google develops and uses Angular in its own products, the framework receives stable and long-term support. This gives companies confidence when choosing Angular.
There’s plenty of documentation, active forums, and many open-source libraries that provide useful extensions.
Because Angular is built with TypeScript by default, developers benefit from type safety, better tooling, and early error detection during development.
For beginners, Angular can feel overwhelming. There are many concepts to learn before becoming productive.
Because Angular is actively developed, new versions are released regularly. Teams need to keep their applications updated to benefit from improvements and security patches.
Angular isn’t the best choice for every project. It’s important to understand where the framework truly shines.
Angular is particularly strong for large and complex applications. This includes enterprise applications, portals, dashboards, or systems with extensive forms and user interactions. Thanks to its clear structure and strong typing, the code remains maintainable and organized even as the project grows.
When multiple teams are working on the same application, Angular’s modular approach, components, and dependency injection help separate responsibilities and simplify collaboration.
Many organizations choose Angular when they need:
A complete out-of-the-box solution with clear standards.
Long-term support and stable development.
Excellent tooling via the Angular CLI.
Easy integration with enterprise systems and APIs.
Compared to React or Vue.js, Angular is larger, more comprehensive, and has a more rigid structure. In return, Angular comes with many built-in features right from the start. React and Vue often require developers to choose and configure additional packages themselves.
For small websites or simpler apps, React or Vue may be lighter and easier to get started with. But for enterprise-grade applications that require strong maintainability, scalability, and team collaboration, Angular is often a very solid choice.
Good project structure is essential to keep an Angular application manageable, especially as the project grows. Angular encourages a clear folder structure and separation of responsibilities.
A typical Angular project structure often looks like this:
/src
/app
/components
/services
/models
/modules
/assets
/environmentsThis folder contains all reusable components, each responsible for a specific part of the user interface.
Services hold shared logic, such as API calls or data handling. They’re usually injected into components using Angular’s dependency injection system.
Here you define TypeScript interfaces or classes that describe your data structures.
Angular uses NgModules to logically group related pieces of functionality. This allows large applications to be broken down into smaller, more maintainable units.
Assets include files such as images, fonts, or global stylesheets. The environments folder contains different configuration files for development, staging, or production builds.
In larger applications, managing application state can become complex. Angular doesn't enforce a specific state management solution, but integrates well with popular libraries like:
NgRx (inspired by Redux patterns)
NGXS
These solutions help centralize state, making components simpler and application behavior more predictable.
For those looking to start with Angular, there are plenty of resources and tools available to support the learning process. Thanks to its active community and solid documentation, both beginners and advanced developers can find helpful material.
The official Angular documentation (angular.io) offers comprehensive guides, examples, and tutorials. This is often the best place to begin.
Many online courses are available. Platforms like Udemy, Pluralsight, and Coursera offer complete Angular training. YouTube also has many free tutorials providing practical explanations.
For those wanting a deeper dive into theory, several books cover Angular’s architecture and best practices in detail.
The Angular community is large and active. Developers can ask questions and share experiences on forums like Stack Overflow, Reddit, and the official Angular Discord server.
A great starting point is installing the Angular CLI:
npm install -g @angular/cliFrom there, you can quickly create your first project using:
ng new my-first-angular-appAngular is a powerful and complete frontend framework designed for building scalable and maintainable web applications. With its component-based architecture, dependency injection, data binding, and extensive tooling, Angular offers strong structure and stability, especially for larger projects.
While the learning curve can be steep, its clear standards, comprehensive documentation, and active community make it accessible to developers who are willing to invest the time. Thanks to Google’s ongoing support, Angular remains modern and reliable.
Angular is used to build web applications, mainly single-page applications (SPAs). Companies often choose Angular for enterprise software, dashboards, portals, administrative systems, and other projects where scalability, maintainability, and performance are key requirements.
Angular is a full-fledged framework with a fixed structure, built-in tools, and established standards. It uses TypeScript and comes with most features included out-of-the-box. React, on the other hand, is a library focused on building user interfaces. With React, developers usually need to add separate tools for things like routing, state management, and dependency injection. Angular is often a good choice for large, complex projects, while React offers more flexibility for smaller or more dynamic applications.
Angular is a frontend framework. It’s used to build the user interface of web applications and runs in the browser. Backend functionality is typically handled by separate technologies, such as Node.js, .NET, or Java.
