Angular 14 New Features and Benefits for Business and Developers
Angular 14, the latest version of Google’s TypeScript-based web application framework, is now available. It comes with new and improved features that could change the way Angular components are written and more. So what’s new in Angular version 14? Here is an overview of the framework’s latest major update and why you should be moving to version 14.
When is Angular 14 Coming Out?
For those who were wondering when Angular 14 will be released, the wait is finally over! According to Google’s plans, the stable version was in the works, with the Angular 14 release date set for June 2022. The new version became available on 02 June 2022, succeeding Angular 13, which was released in November 2021.
Comparing Angular 13 vs 14: Improved Efficiency and Speed
Angular 14 takes over from Angular 13 as the framework’s latest major update. Developers can look forward to exciting changes to quite a number of processes in the new version. But how does it compare to v13 in terms of speed and efficiency?
Angular 14’s pre-planned improvements, including standalone components, support for Typescript 4.7 (latest version), optional injectors in embedded view, and more, significantly change how Angular applications are written. All these are features Angular 13 was missing. It makes it easier to develop Angular applications and also makes v14 more efficient and faster as compared to the previous version.
New Angular 14 Features
Let’s look at Angular 14 features in detail. Here’s what’s in it for you.
Standalone components
Angular 14 standalone components allow more flexibility in component module association as NgModules are now optional. Since they are still an available option, you don’t have to worry about v14’s compatibility with the existing Angular-based apps and libraries ecosystem.
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Strictly Typed Forms
Typed forms have been introduced in Angular 14, improving how the framework works with forms. The FormControl will now accept a generic type that tells a certain value it carries. This solves the issue of implementing strict typing for the Angular Reactive Forms Package on GitHub. This change will not affect the relationship with existing template-based forms and has been future-proofed with the Auto migration added in v14.
Optional Injectors in embedded views
Optional injectors can now be introduced in embedded views in Angular 14 using via ViewContainerRef.createEmbeddedView and TemplateRef.createEmbeddedView.
Angular CLI Auto-Completion
Angular 14 comes with a much-needed CLI auto-completion feature. You can look forward to real-time auto-completion of commands in the terminal, making it easy to find your way around. For new Angular and Typescript developers who have been struggling with the steep learning curve for the framework, this makes things all the more easier—no more looking up commands online!
Advanced template diagnostics
Developers can look forward to enhanced template diagnostics for compiler matching to typescript code. The diagnostics tests also work with the private compiler introduced in Angular 14. The warnings from the compilers will help developers save time and avoid mistakes in their code. In previous versions the compiler would just stop executing if it encountered a problem and did not inform you of what the issue was.
Streamlined Page Title Accessibility
Adding a title to your page is now simpler without the need for additional imports as you develop your application. This makes it easier for developers to adapt to the changes in version 13 that introduced the new Route.title in the Angular router.
New Component Dev Kit Primitives
You can expect new CDK primitives including the Dialog and the CDK Menu in Angular 14. This will account for better accessibility for custom components.
Online Angular DevTools
The new online mode for Angular DevTools in the revamped debugging extension is a welcome improvement. This feature is available as Mozilla Add-ons for Firefox users.
Built-in enhancements
The recently released Angular 14 supports TypeScript 4.7, also targeting ES2020 by default. In addition, the CLI can deploy small code without devaluing it. You can also now link to protected component members directly from templates giving you more control over the public API surface of the reusable components.
Extended developer diagnostics
Angular 14’s extendable framework provides you with advanced insights on your templates, with suggestions on how to boost performance.
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How to Upgrade to Angular 14?
Migrating to Angular 14 gets you access to these latest upgrades on the framework. Let’s jump right into how to get it done!
Migration from Angular 12/13 to Angular 14
If you are currently using previous versions of the framework, namely Angular v12 or v13, migrating to v14 is a straightforward path. To install your required version of Angular CLI globally, start by running the following on the command-line interface:
npm install –global @angular/cli@next
From there, open a new command-line interface and run the following:
npm install –global @angular/cli@next
This command will prompt the installation of Angular 14 on your development machine.
Upgrading from Angular 13 to 14? Then visit the official website for a swift update. There aren’t any changes necessary when updating from Angular 13; however, make sure you are using Node 14.15.0 or later as advised by the Angular team. From the command-line interface, run the command:
ng update @angular/core@14 @angular/cli@14
This will update your current version of Angular to v14. Ensuring your applications are ready for migration can be complex, but our team here at ModLogix has experience in Angular migrations and can help smoothen the process.
Migrating from AngularJS to Angular 14
If you are moving from Angular JS, there are more steps you have to take to avoid breaking changes that come with the update. As AngularJS is the name for all 1.x versions of Angular, the transition has a different supported AngularJS migration path. The best way is to do incremental upgrades by running the AngularJS and Angular 14 frameworks side by side in the same application and porting AngularJS components to Angular one by one.
The upgrade module in Angular makes incremental upgrading seamless. It also helps to align AngularJS applications with Angular in preparation for the migration. To do this you can make the code more decoupled, more maintainable, and better aligned with the latest development tools. With this approach, migrating complex applications of any size becomes achievable without disrupting other functions.
However, a successful incremental upgrade will also require you to avoid common migration mistakes. There are rules you can follow to simplify your migration. As you will be using the Angular upgrade/static module, there should be one component per file, and different parts of the application should reside in different directories and NgModules. It’s easier to get an AngularJS development team on your side to ensure every application is migration ready.
Takeaway
With the new transformative features in Angular 14, adopting the updated framework or your application development will help boost efficiency. Developers will find the changes to the Angular framework quite helpful in simplifying some complex operations like working with typed forms. The introduction of standalone components and support for the latest version of Typescript also increases the possibilities for Angular apps. There are no better signs to tell you it’s time your business migrated to Angular 14.
