Why Migrating from AngularJs to Angular is Worth Your Time in 2023?

As the software landscape rapidly evolves to meet rising customer demands and technology advancements, developers often face difficult decisions when selecting which tech stack to use for their upcoming projects. One of these tough choices is whether to stick with AngularJS upgrade and migration. There are many benefits of making this switch, both technical and operational, but the critical question remains, is migration worth your time?

However, the most important reason is that the long-term support for the AngularJS framework ended on December 31, 2021. It’s been two years, and in 2023, there’s the latest Angular version 15, with various promising and up-to-date features.

In this blog post, we’ll delve deeper into what lies beyond a simple yes or no answer, exploring the framework’s benefits and highlighting why you must consider undertaking an AngularJs to Angular migration.

How are Angular and AngularJs related?

When it comes to front-end development, AngularJs has long been the go-to framework for many developers and organizations. However, with the emergence of its successor Angular, an increasing number are looking to make the transition away from their legacy systems and upgrade to the latest platform.

Angular is the go-to technology for modern web development, providing developers with a comprehensive platform that allows them to create dynamic user experiences. Angular and AngularJs do share certain similarities, as the former is an improved version of the latter. However, when Angular was released, it was intended to be a significant update of AngularJs, with numerous improvements and new functionality. As a result, it was designed to be distinct from its predecessor.

Clearly, Angular is an improved version of AngularJs that includes numerous substantial improvements and enhancements. Furthermore, Angular is faster than AngularJs and has other benefits, such as mobile-friendly applications, cross-platform development, SEO support, and a built-in CLI tool.

Why Migrate From AngularJs to Angular?

• Architecture

AngularJs is based on the MVC (model-view-controller) architecture, whereas Angular is based on a component-based architecture with a hierarchical structure of Angular components and services. It enables the elements to be reused while improving their testability and maintainability. It is better suited for creating dynamic interfaces for an application. With Angular, all of the features are included in a single class, so it is more efficient to use.

• Leverage Latest Talent

AngularJS received several updates over the years, but the framework is somewhat outdated and lacks a simple learning curve. As per a Stack Overflow 2022 Survey report, as much as 78.99% of developers dread learning this Javascript framework. This has led to a need for more new and developing talent moving away from the framework. Finding senior-level developers in the Angularjs framework is more accessible, but that significantly increases software maintenance costs.

In contrast, Angular, a TypeScript framework, is popular among budding programmers. As much as 52.27% of developers love the Angular framework, as per the same stack overflow report. So you can easily hire junior and senior Angular developers for web development or maintenance projects.

• Move to a More Secure Tech

The LTS support for the AngularJS framework has already ended, which means it will only become more vulnerable with time. Advanced hackers will find it easier to create a nuisance with websites and apps based on the old and outdated version of the JavaScript framework. It’s essential to migrate from AngularJS to Angular to keep your site up-to-date with the latest security patches and leverage the framework’s long-term support. 

• Structure

Angular is not the same as AngularJs. The new structure makes Angular more effective for creating and managing complex applications, while AngularJs’s simplicity remains appealing. Overall, Angular is more efficient to develop with since it has a cleaner code structure and better dependency injection than AngularJs.

• Language

Angular and AngularJs seem similar, but they are quite distinct. While both languages can be used for web-based development, TypeScript, the language that powers Angular offers numerous unique benefits compared to JavaScript which accompanies AngularJs. TypeScript is better for front-end development. It can handle extensive projects better than Javascript. In addition, TypeScript helps you write cleaner code that can be reused easily.

• Mobile Support

With mobile usage on the rise, more and more businesses are turning to Angular over its predecessor AngularJs for their web development. Having been optimized by Google for improved performance across all devices, from phones to desktop browsers, your applications will achieve optimal compatibility with minimal effort. Take this advantage as an opportunity to see how migrating AngularJs to Angular can enable a smoother transition into native mobile applications today.

• Speed and performance

Angular performance outperforms AngularJs in every aspect, including speed. For one reason, Angular development is several times faster than AngularJs due to Angular component-based architecture rather than standard MVC.

The latest Angular version includes a more robust data binding mechanism. This prevents AngularJs from slow-running, two-way binding. Furthermore, Angular’s TypeScript language allows static typing. This aids in the prevention of many runtime errors that often cause issues for AngularJs when constructing complex apps.

Read More: React Vs. Angular: Most Suitable Choice For Mobile App Development

Business Benefits of Migration from AngularJs to Angular

• Future-Proofing

Migrating to the newer version of Angular provides considerable potential for future-proofing development projects. With an 8-year gap in feature updates between AngularJs and current versions, staying up-to-date with support and regular releases can keep software solutions competitive over time. Thus, it is suggested to rely on AngularJs migration and upgrade to Angular.

• Efficient Development

Angular has made great strides over AngularJs when it comes to development efficiency. The Angular code is cleaner, the architecture more organized, and the features updated thanks to TypeScript and device & browser support. Even data-binding algorithms have seen an upgrade, so you can be sure your project will have a much higher degree of effectiveness with less time spent in its development than what would’ve been possible using its predecessor.

• Mobile-oriented development

According to Statista, mobile devices accounted for 54.8% of global internet browsing in the first quarter of 2021. Mobile internet browsing has grown in popularity around the world over the years. Mobile compatibility should be prioritized. If you have been using the AngularJs app, you can hire a dedicated Angular developer who upgrades your business applications and enable mobile support.

• Cost Optimization

The ultimate reason for migrating is to enhance AngularJs code efficiency and make the development process more productive. As a result, the development life cycle is reduced, allowing you to spend less (than you would have spent with AngularJs) while producing significantly better outcomes. Furthermore, Angular includes an official Command Line Interface, which eliminates the requirement for your developers to rely on many of the third-party tools required by AngularJs.

Standard AngularJs to Angular Migration Methods

Various methods help you update from the existing AngularJs version to the latest angular updates. 

Method 1 – Rewrite from the Ground

This method applies to small and less complex applications with a few pages. You can start writing fresh code for the application using the Angular framework. Using the latest Angular CLI, you can create a new application with integral features of the existing application.

The issue with this approach is that you must maintain two versions of the same application for at least some time. This makes the approach costlier. However, on the bright side, your official application does not suffer from downtime, and you can continue business efficiently with zero glitches. 

Method 2 – Migrate Incrementally via ngUpgrade or Angular Elements

The other method involves updating different sections of the applications in a step-by-step process. This method works great for large-scale applications or complex applications. Instead of updating the whole app simultaneously, you can work by updating them via sections. This approach also lets you develop new features for the application in parallel.

To implement this process, you can use the ngUpgrade library, Angular Elements package, etc. The official upgrade tutorial is available on the extensive documentation page. It does not make sense to repeat the same information.

Let us decode what exactly you will be doing when performing the Angularjs to Angular migration. 

Stage 1- Preparing the Migration Process

This involves planning the entire migration process, like choosing a specific method and choosing the necessary technology tools for the project. You decide the following in this stage.

• Compatible style guide
• Using specific module loader & Angular component directives
• Migrating the code to TypeScript

Stage 2 – Performing incremental upgrade with ngUpgrade library 

You will analyze and learn ways to upgrade the application via the ngUpgrade tool, which lets you mix & match Angular with AngularJS components.

Stage 3 – Lazy Loading Angular components 

You need to learn various aspects of the Lazy Loading feature. With this feature, you can optimize the application to load only vital sources as per users’ search intent. This helps with improving the overall speed of the application. 

Stage 4 – Unified Angular Service 

Using the advanced unified location service module, you can shift the responsibilities of the application from the AngularJS $location service to the latest version of the framework, which is the Angular Location service. This promotes a clean transition of the application.

Stage 5 – Learn Practical Example

At the end of the extensive documentation, there’s a practical example of migrating the existing AngularJs apps to Angular. You can use this example to understand the migration process fully. 

Why hire an expert for the Migration process?

Finding an expert in both the Angular framework and its corresponding migration process is essential for a successful conversion. A thorough analysis must be conducted to assess the existing AngularJs components that will need rewriting versus those which can be updated. Selecting the right partner who aligns with your vision and technology will help make sure every step of migration runs as smoothly as possible.

At JS Panther, our Angular team understands the need for seamless migration. That’s why our technical team of experts is well-equipped and experienced to facilitate a hassle-free transition from AngularJs to Angular, helping clients overcome any obstacles in the migration journey. Our Panthers can support Angular and AngularJs frameworks at the same time. Furthermore, Angular app development has a wide and active community, so you can always find support from people with experience in the migration process.

Conclusion

The migration from AngularJs to the Angular module is indeed a big step that requires much effort. With AngularJs nearing the end of its lifecycle, now is an ideal time to migrate to a more modern framework like Angular. This will ensure you need to hire angular js developers to stay up-to-date with state-of-the-art technology that offers improved performance and enhanced features.

With its improved performance, scalability, sustainability, and long-term relevance potential, you can’t go wrong with Angular. Our experienced professionals at JS Panthers are available for assistance; get in touch now if you wish to know more about significant improvements in Angular and start building a future-proof Solution. Contact our Panthers for expert assistance on your Angular app today.