The Benefits of Upgrading to Angular 5

Angular 5 has introduced a plethora of new tools and features aimed at enhancing performance, development efficiency, and overall user experience. In this article, we will explore how these advancements benefit developers working with Angular 5. This comprehensive guide will delve into the Build Optimizer, Angular Universal Transfer API, HttpClient, new Router Lifecycle Events, and RxJS 5.5 Imports.

1. Build Optimizer

A key feature of Angular 5 is the inclusion of the Build Optimizer within the Angular CLI. This tool significantly reduces the size and load time of application bundles, making the application faster and more responsive. The Build Optimizer performs two primary functions:

Ahead of Time (AOT) Compilation: The AOT compiler compiles the TypeScript code into native JavaScript, resulting in faster build times and improved performance. Tree Shaking: This process removes unused code from the bundle, further reducing its size and improving performance.

Notably, the AOT compiler's performance has been optimized, allowing for incremental AOT rebuilds in under 2 seconds. This makes the development process more efficient and less time-consuming. In a future release, the AOT will be enabled by default, reducing the need for manual configuration.

2. Angular Universal Transfer API

One of the most significant enhancements in Angular 5 is the introduction of the Angular Universal Transfer API. This feature allows developers to share state between the client and server, enabling server-side rendering (SSR) and improved performance.

The new ServerTransferStateModule and BrowserTransferStateModule modules facilitate the generation of information during server-side rendering and pass it to the client without requiring an additional HTTP request. This means that once the application reaches the client, no further requests are necessary to synchronize the state, enhancing the overall user experience and performance.

3. HttpClient

Angular 5 introduces the HttpClient module, which replaces the deprecated @angular/http library. This new module offers several improvements, making it easier and more efficient to handle HTTP requests in Angular applications.

Ease of Use: The HttpClient module provides a more streamlined approach to handling HTTP requests, simplifying common tasks like sending data, handling responses, and error management. Type Safety: The type-safe nature of the HttpClient module ensures that developers can work with strongly typed objects, improving the overall robustness and maintainability of the codebase. Integration: The HttpClient module is designed to integrate seamlessly with other Angular features, such as observables and reactive programming concepts.

To update to the HttpClient, developers must replace the HttpModule with HttpClientModule from @angular/common/http in their modules. The service injection process remains largely the same, but map res.json calls are no longer needed, as modern Angular now directly handles the response data.

4. New Router Lifecycle Events

Angular 5 introduces a range of new router lifecycle events to help developers better manage the navigation process and enhance the overall performance of their applications.

These events provide a more granular level of control over the router's lifecycle, enabling developers to:

Monitor Routing: Track the routing process from the moment a route is entered to when it is activated. Feature Customization: Implement custom logic for specific routing scenarios, such as showing a spinner during route changes or resolving route guards.

For example, developers can use these events to display a spinner when a child route is being updated or when a router guard is resolving. This level of control and visibility makes it easier to manage complex routing scenarios and improve user experience.

5. RxJS 5.5 Imports

RxJS, the reactive programming library, has been updated to version 5.5.2 or later in Angular 5. This update includes operators that address the challenges posed by code-splitting and tree-shaking. Additionally, RxJS now supports ECMAScript modules, which are automatically pulled in by the Angular CLI. This ensures that developers can leverage the full power of reactive programming without any additional configuration.

The improvements in RxJS versions such as 5.5.2 include:

Code-Splitting: Improved support for splitting code into smaller chunks, enhancing performance and reducing initial load time. Tree-Shaking: Better optimization through tree-shaking, allowing for the removal of unused code to further reduce the bundle size. Reactive Enhancement: Additional operators and features that make reactive programming more intuitive and powerful.

By leveraging these new features and improvements, developers can build more efficient, maintainable, and user-friendly applications with Angular 5. The Build Optimizer, Angular Universal Transfer API, HttpClient, new Router Lifecycle Events, and RxJS 5.5 Imports all contribute to making Angular 5 a powerful and robust framework for building modern web applications.