Angular is a popular open-source web development framework that allows developers to build scalable and efficient web applications. Angular 13 is the latest version of Angular, released in November 2021. In this article, we will discuss the new features and improvements introduced in Angular 13. There are several improvements made to the Angular v13, which are described below:
- Ivy Improvements: Angular 13 introduces several Ivy improvements, including better diagnostics, improved AOT (Ahead of Time) compilation, and better tree shaking. Ivy is the new rendering engine in Angular that provides improved performance, smaller bundle sizes, and better error messages. For instance, you can now use dynamic imports with Ivy like this:
import("./my-component").then(module => {
// use the component here
});- Strict Mode: Angular 13 introduces a new strict mode that enforces strict type checking, improves error messages, and helps catch common mistakes. This can help developers write more reliable and maintainable code.
- Updated Dependencies: Angular 13 updates its dependencies, including TypeScript 4.5, RxJS 7, and Zone.js 0.11. This provides developers with the latest features and improvements in these libraries. For instance, you might be able to use the new “never” type to indicate a function that never returns:
function handleError(): never {
throw new Error("Something went wrong");
}- Angular Material Updates: Angular Material is a UI component library for Angular that provides a set of pre-built UI components. Angular 13 introduces several updates to Angular Material, including new typography options, improved theming capabilities, and accessibility improvements.
- Improved Router Performance: Angular 13 introduces several improvements to the router’s performance, including better support for preloading, improved route reuse strategy, and better query parameter handling. This can help improve the overall performance of Angular applications.
- Improved DevTools Support & Testing Support: Angular 13 introduces several improvements to the Angular DevTools, including better support for debugging change detection, improved performance profiling, and better support for testing. On another hand, in Testing Support, Angular 13 includes better support for TestBed, improved error messages, and improved test coverage reporting. This can help developers write more comprehensive and effective tests for their applications.
- Improved Localization Support: Angular 13 introduces several improvements to localization support, including better support for date and time formatting, better support for pluralization, and better support for ICU expressions. This can help developers build applications that can support multiple languages and regions.
- Improved Accessibility: Angular 13 introduces several accessibility improvements, including better support for aria-label and aria-labelledby attributes, better support for keyboard navigation, and better support for screen readers. This can help developers build more accessible applications that can be used by all users, including those with disabilities. For example, you might be able to use the aria-label attribute like this:
<button aria-label="Submit">Submit</button>
- Faster recompilation: The Angular team is working on making recompilation faster, particularly for large projects with many components. For example, changes to a component’s HTML template might now take only a few seconds to update, rather than tens of seconds or even minutes.
- Improved error messages: The error messages in Angular 13 are expected to be clearer and more informative, making it easier for developers to troubleshoot issues. For example, instead of a cryptic error like “TypeError: Cannot read property ‘foo’ of undefined”, you might see a message like “Error: Could not find data for user ID 123”.
- Better support for Webpack 5: Angular 13 is expected to have better compatibility with Webpack 5, which should improve build times and overall performance.
- Support for TypeScript 4.5: Angular 13 supports the latest version of TypeScript, which includes several new features and improvements. For example, you can now use recursive type aliases like this:
type JSONValue = string | number | boolean | null | JSONArray | JSONObject;
type JSONArray = JSONValue[];
type JSONObject = { [key: string]: JSONValue; };- Angular Package Format (APF): The Angular Package Format (APF) is a new feature introduced in Angular v13 that allows developers to create and distribute libraries in a new format that reduces the size of the final bundle by removing unnecessary code. With APF, developers can create packages that contain only the necessary code to run their libraries, resulting in faster loading times for applications that use these libraries.
- RxJS, TypeScript & Node.js versions supported: Angular v13 supports RxJS version 7, TypeScript version 4.4, and Node.js version 14 or later. These updated versions bring new features and improvements to the framework, including faster build times and improved performance.
- Changes made to the Router: Angular v13 includes several changes to the Router module, including improved support for lazy loading and better handling of route changes. These changes improve the performance and usability of the Router module, making it easier for developers to create complex routing configurations.
- Enhancements in Angular CLI & Angular testing: Angular v13 introduces several enhancements to the Angular CLI, including new commands for generating components and services, improved support for building and deploying applications, and better integration with third-party tools. Additionally, the framework now supports faster and more reliable testing, with improvements to the TestBed API and the addition of new testing utilities.
- Dynamic Components creation: Finally, Angular v13 includes new features for creating and managing dynamic components. Developers can now create and load components dynamically at runtime, giving them more flexibility in building complex UIs.
Additionally, the new features and improvements introduced in Angular 13 can also help developers save time and effort during the development process. With better diagnostics and error messages, developers can quickly identify and fix issues, reducing the time spent on debugging. The improved routing and testing support can also help developers write more comprehensive tests and reduce the time spent on testing and maintenance. Moreover, the updated dependencies in Angular 13 ensure that developers have access to the latest features and improvements in libraries such as TypeScript, RxJS, and Zone.js. This can help developers stay up-to-date with the latest web development trends and best practices.
Conclusion: Angular 13 is a significant update to the Angular framework, introducing new features and improvements that can help developers build better web applications. With better performance, reliability, accessibility, and localization support, Angular 13 is a valuable tool for developers looking to build efficient and scalable web applications.