Angular vs. AngularJS

What are Angular and AngularJS?

Angular, more commonly known as Angular 2+ or Angular V2 and above, was released in the early 2010s as a rewrite of the pre-existing AngularJS. It is a TypeScript web application framework used to design and develop efficient and sophisticated single-page apps. The platform was developed by Google and is now led by the Angular Team at Google and other corporations.

Similar to Angular, AngularJS is an open-source front end web application developed to tackle the design of a single page application. While Angular is a TypeScript based web application, AngularJS was created as a JavaScript web application. The platform was released a decade ago on October 10th, with long-term support until December 31st, 2021.

AngularJS vs. Angular

A significant point of difference between the two web application platforms is in the script they use to aid in developing a single page application. As mentioned above, AngularJS uses a combination of JavaScript and HTML, where the former is a dynamic language and the latter a static language. In comparison, Angular is a TypeScript based web application that also uses a combination of HTML and CSS.

Architecture

The difference in scripts translates into a difference in the platform’s architecture. What that means is: AngularJS works on an MVC or Model View Controller design with directives, while Angular utilizes a component and directives structure.

Directives of Angular and AngularJS

The two platforms use directives, but the method of utilization makes all the difference. While Angular uses standard directives, AngularJS uses a pack of them. For instance, one would use the ng-bind to create a single binding in AngularJS and ng-model for two-way binding.

In comparison, you would use symbols such as “(),” “[],” and “[()]” for a one-way binding in Angular and ngModel for two-binding.

Mobile support

Being based on JavaScript, AngularJS does not provide mobile support, while Angular advanced applications remain mobile-friendly.

Advantages of Angular

Angular utilizes TypeScript, i.e., a superset of ES6, which is backward compatible with ES5, i.e., JavaScript.
The framework exhibits better modularity resulting in a better and faster core.
Dynamic Loading
Use of Hierarchical Dependency Injection boosts platform performance.
CLI or Command Line Interface takes care of project building and makes testing more accessible

Advantages of AngularJS

The architecture is much simpler and aids in the faster development of web applications.
Application prototypes are developed with ease and significantly fewer code thanks to its rapid prototyping.
The Model View Controller speeds up application development through the use of two-way data binding.
The AngularJS framework allows for a faster, more responsive, and seamless experience when using a website or application.

Both frameworks remain to be one of the most famous and widely used platforms for UI development. Though the two web applications provide unique features, AngularJS has lost its preference in the developer community. Based on JavaScript with no mobile support, the number of users has dropped, causing it to be pushed to Long Term Support (LTS) and urging its users to move to Angular eventually.

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