Angular is a widely used JavaScript framework for building dynamic web applications. Since the beginning, Angular has undergone several major version changes, each introducing significant improvements and features. In this article, we will see more about the evolution of Angular through its various versions and explore its key features.
Angular, originally developed by Google, is a comprehensive platform that simplifies the process of building web applications. It is based on TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript, and offers a structured framework for creating robust, scalable, and maintainable applications.
Key Features
Angular offers a rich set of features that empower developers to build sophisticated web applications:
- Component-Based Architecture: Applications are built as a tree of components, promoting reusability and maintainability.
- Templates and Data Binding: Declarative templates with powerful two-way data binding.
- Dependency Injection: Efficient management of application dependencies.
- Routing: Client-side routing to create single-page applications (SPAs).
- Forms: Comprehensive form-handling capabilities with built-in validation.
- HTTP Client: Simplified handling of HTTP requests using observables.
- Testing Support: Comprehensive tools and utilities for testing Angular applications.
We will discuss the various versions, their features as well as the release date in the table below.
|
Version |
Update |
Release Year |
|---|---|---|
|
Initial release of AngularJS |
2010 |
|
|
Complete rewrite with components and TypeScript support |
2016 |
|
|
Introduction of HttpClient module, Animation improvements, Angular Universal for server-side rendering |
2017 |
|
|
Build optimizer for smaller bundles, HTTP interceptor support, RxJS 5.5 support |
2017 |
|
|
Angular Elements for reusable components,Improved Angular CLI commands, RxJS 6 support |
2018 |
|
|
CLI prompts for options, Angular Material enhancements, Drag and Drop functionality |
2018 |
|
|
Ivy renderer as an opt-in preview, Differential loading for modern browsers, Improved TypeScript support |
2019 |
|
|
Default Ivy renderer, Improved build speed and size, TypeScript 3.7+ support |
2020 |
|
|
Optional stricter settings with stricter type-checking, Updated ng update functionality, Improved browser support |
2020 |
|
|
Hot module replacement in Angular CLI, Webpack 5 compatibility, Updated Angular Material |
2020 |
|
|
Faster ng build performance, Updated ESLint and TypeScript 4.2 support, Angular DevTools integration |
2021 |
|
|
Service worker updates for improved PWA support, ng build performance enhancements, Updated Angular Material components |
2021 |
|
|
Form improvements and validators, Updated Angular Material theming, Compiler improvements for faster builds |
2022 |
|
|
New Ivy features and optimizations, Enhanced router capabilities, Updated ng update command |
2022 |
|
|
Enhanced performance optimizations, Improved NgModules and lazy loading strategies, Advanced Angular DevTools |
2023 |
|
|
Improved server-side rendering (SSR), Enhanced NgModules with strict mode, Updated Angular CLI with new commands |
2023 |