When it comes to web applications and pages, AngularJS is an indispensable tool. The platform has sparked the creation of an active community of developers, who share tips, tricks, and helpful examples to resolve the most common development obstacles.
Join me as we explore the finest AngularJS development resources!
IDEs
The quality of code writing tools can determine the success of a project. These tools have a significant impact on a developer’s productivity, especially during code writing and testing. What are the most commonly used development tools for AngularJS?
WebStorm
For coders of all levels, JetBrains is a renowned provider of robust Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). Within this selection, WebStorm is particularly noteworthy for its advanced code completion and analysis tools, specifically tailored to JavaScript development. Moreover, the platform makes remote collaboration a breeze, has database tools, and features in-built tests to determine the code’s performance. In the event that required functionality is missing from the base installation, it’s easy to add it through the plugin market.
Aptana Studios
Tailored specifically to website development, Aptana Studio is a powerful Integrated Development Environment (IDE) with a host of beneficial features for creating online applications and pages. Notably, the code assistant offers an overview of browser support for specific elements, while the deployment wizard streamlines project updates to the latest stable release.
Angular IDE – An Iterative Development Environment
The Angular IDE extension for the MyEclipse Java IDE delivers a comprehensive development environment for native Angular applications. It simplifies project, component, service and module creation and configuration through wizards. Additionally, it comes with CodeLive, an effective tool to examine the HTML elements and Angular components that are loaded onto the website.
Refined Text Formatting
The latest version of Sublime Text (version 4) has significantly fortified its position as a dependable and lightweight code editor. It incorporates numerous enhancements and new features that are particularly useful for developers working with Angular, such as out-of-the-box JavaScript support, context-sensitive autocomplete, and improved GPU rendering. Additionally, the platform boasts an active community of extension developers, as well as a Python API for creating add-ons.
Solid Code Editor
Visual Studio Code, the latest free IDE from Microsoft, is a user-friendly yet powerful tool that provides a stable development environment for various programming languages. The platform also allows easy installation and configuration of additional tools and modules that complement specific programming languages or development environments. For instance, Visual Studio Code offers access to thousands of dedicated extensions specifically tailored for Angular, such as AngularJS tools, UI components, and code snippets.
JSFiddle
Among the Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) on our list, JSFiddle provides an outstanding online option for development and debugging, thanks to its capacity to host multiple code editors (such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Angular) within a single interface. Furthermore, it allows for simultaneous interaction, making it an ideal choice for prototyping and testing new concepts with ease.
Frameworks
When creating anything, it’s crucial to start with a robust foundation that enables scalability. By leveraging a sturdy framework, developing and enhancing Angular projects becomes more manageable.
Quick Start with Angular
Angular Kickstart is a framework that uses AngularJS, Gulpjs and Bower to develop single-page applications (SPAs). The framework includes a dedicated job for executing unit tests, as well as a preconfigured modular structure designed to promote code modularity and reusability.
Strongly Anchored Roots for Angular
Angular Seed is a comprehensive web application development framework that simplifies the development process and includes unit and integration testing settings.
Djangular
For those seeking to integrate Django and AngularJS, Djangular is an excellent option. Its project structure, similar to that of Angular Seed, allows for effortless communication and integration between the two frameworks.
Angular on Fire
Angular Fire simplifies the integration of AngularJS into Firebase projects and offers several useful features, such as the dynamic importation of Firebase, which enhances application loading speed.
MEAN
Although not a traditional framework, the MEAN technology stack is widely adopted due to its ability to seamlessly integrate with other technologies to develop a variety of online applications. The stack employs JavaScript as the sole programming language, optimizing efficiency by enabling code reuse across the entire project.
A Composition of Libraries and Components
Angular offers a broad range of libraries and components that help developers minimize development time by offering streamlined features.
angular-gettext
Angular-gettext is a crucial tool for developers building a global AngularJS app. Working discreetly in the background, this library provides translations based on different factors, such as the number of items, and enables developers to label their text with singular and plural descriptors.
Angular Deckgrid
With the Angular Deckgrid module, developers can easily implement lightweight grid support for their Angular application. By employing a template and some CSS, developers can easily create a custom, even responsive, grid for their project.
Videogular
Videogular is an excellent option for websites or applications that need video playback functionality. This player includes various features, such as the ability to skip to a specific moment in a video or switch between multiple videos.
AngularUI
AngularUI presents an array of pre-built AngularJS modules that enable the integration of features such as calendars, maps, and sliders into websites or applications. This can expedite development time and ensure that components align with industry standards.
Ngx-restangular
Ngx-restangular simplifies client-side communication by enabling data retrieval via a RESTful API. This library optimizes memory usage and offers users convenient URL aliases by enabling developers to reuse the same object for multiple queries.
For Testing and Debugging Purposes
It is crucial to test the development process iteratively to ensure the app’s quality for customers by promptly identifying and resolving errors. Let’s explore several Angular development tools to assist us with this process.
Jasmine
Jasmine is a flexible testing framework that simplifies the process of writing tests. As it is not dependent on the Document Object Model (DOM), it can be used immediately following installation. Users can execute it within a web browser or Node.js environment.
Mocha
Mocha is a test framework based on Node.js. It runs tests sequentially and provides time-stamped results, among other features that enhance the developer experience. These features include string diff, test retrying, and highlighting slow tests (with customizable criteria). It can also detect global variable leaks.
Protractor
Protractor is an AngularJS testing framework that emulates real-world browser behavior and user input. Its most significant advantage is the ability to automatically complete the steps in the tests once the page has finished its pending tasks. This feature alleviates the need for developers to write waits and sleeps, which can increase the code’s size and introduce potential issues.
Karma
Karma is a testing framework that allows for the parallel execution of tests in multiple browsers, either during development or after each save. It also supports popular test frameworks like Jasmine and Mocha, via plugins.
NG-inspector
NG-inspector is a popular browser plugin widely recognized as one of the best AngularJS development tools available. Its browser add-on functionality offers developers quick access to advanced features like live DOM node inspection and a live view of the application, making troubleshooting and app building more efficient.
Q&A
Where is the best place to find an AngularJS IDE?
The choice of option may vary depending on the intended purpose of your project. While we have provided several potential solutions above, if we had to pick one, this is what we would recommend.
- If you’re looking for a comprehensive but expensive IDE for building websites, Webstorm is the ideal choice.
- If you require a free integrated development environment (IDE) for website development, give Aptana Studio a try. Here are some of the best commercial java IDEs to consider as well.
- Sublime Text is a fast and lightweight IDE for various purposes that comes with a price tag.
- If you want a free, powerful IDE for all types of development, Visual Studio Code is the way to go.
What types of resources are accessible for AngularJS?
The AngularJS community is known for its extensive range of third-party solutions. One of the official tools provided by the Angular Team is the Angular Command Line Interface (CLI), which provides access to a variety of smaller Angular technologies.
- Using add allows you to incorporate a third-party library in your project.
- analytics: Configures data collection for Angular CLI.
- generates a compiled Angular app.
- Configuration values in Angular can be accessed or modified using config.
- deployment: Invokes the deployment function of a project.
- The doc command opens the official Angular documentation in a web browser and performs a search for the given keyword.
- End-to-end testing (e2e) involves building and deploying an Angular app, then subjecting it to various simulations to evaluate its performance.
- generate: Generates new files or modifies existing ones based on a predefined blueprint.
- aid: Generates a list of available resources and gives concise descriptions of each resource.
- The lint command runs Angular app code through a set of linting tools to analyze its quality.
- new – Generates and launches a new Angular application.
- The “run” command allows Architect to execute a specified target, along with an optional custom builder configuration. Architect handles time-consuming CLI activities such as compilation.
- server: Generates and deploys the application.
- test: Executes unit tests for the project.
- update: Upgrades the program and all its dependencies to their latest versions.
- The version command shows the current stable release of the Angular CLI.
- xi18n is a utility that scans the source code and extracts any i18n messages requiring translation.
Describe the responsibilities of an AngularJS developer.
A web developer possessing proficiency or familiarity with the AngularJS framework for constructing websites.
What is the tool employed for Angular’s build process?
To create Angular projects, the Angular Command Line Interface (CLI) is necessary, which includes the ng build tool.
Conclusion
Due to the extensive and supportive community and the availability of many valuable tools created around it, using AngularJS for your projects is strongly recommended. We trust that you have discovered a development tool suitable for your project or are looking forward to experimenting with one for the first time.
Do you want to hire Angular developers at an affordable rate? Works has a vast pool of skilled developers who may be a great match for your organisation at a reasonable cost. Please contact us to discuss this in more detail.
