From an application-development standpoint, one of the shortcomings of HTML is the fact that it is, first and foremost, a markup language, not a programming language. Although HTML5, the latest version, lends itself more to interactivity than previous versions, it is still mostly about presentation and not so much about applications.
The AngularJS front-end framework, an open-source JavaScript framework managed by Google in partnership with a community of independent and corporate developers, attempts to bridge this gap by implementing elements that look like HTML tags and attributes, but are actually directives that invoke JavaScript code.
Angular Advantages
This approach to web application development has a number of advantages, including:
- Simplifying the application-related markup in the HTML file
- Enabling parallel development of the server- and client-side code
- Simplifying application testing
- Simplifying rule declaration for client-side form validation, so users get instant feedback when improperly entering form information
How It Works
AngularJS is built on the principles of models, views, and controllers:
- The model implements the data and the business logic behind the application.
- A view is a representation of information, typically by visual display. Multiple views can be associated with a single application.
- A controller is the interactive piece of the application, accepting user input and converting it to commands that change the model (i.e., the data).
By separating these three elements, AngularJS (and many other frameworks that adopt this approach) encourages code reuse, driving up coding efficiency while reducing bugs and rework. In the case of AngularJS, it eliminates the need for coders to manipulate the JavaScript document object model (DOM, the data representation of a web page’s elements). Traditional JavaScript coding requires the programmer to go to some painstaking lengths to manage the DOM in an application.
It all adds up to a programming environment that enables rapid development and streamlined testing of highly interactive, high-performance web applications suited to nearly any business need.
AngularJS is used in tens of thousands of websites. It has matured to the point where it’s part of a commonly used technology stack, called MEAN (MongoDB database, Express.js application framework, AngularJS, and Node.js server-side execution environment). This set of technologies gives developers a complete toolkit for designing and building compelling, attractive, usable web applications.
The full-service development team at AndPlus knows AngularJS, and understands that it is not the only web application framework available and may not be the best choice for a particular situation. Tell us about your business pains. When we understand your business problem, we can make an informed choice of the right technology.
