Angular is a popular front-end framework for developing advanced and efficient online applications for mobile and desktop devices. Developed by Google, Angular is one of the most popular web frameworks due to its use of the TypeScript language. With over two million packages downloaded per week from npm, it is the second most popular front-end framework. It is used by a variety of websites, such as YouTube, Upwork, PayPal, and Cloudflare.
Because of its popularity, there’s currently a huge demand for Angular developers. In this guide, you’ll learn about the key skills you should look for when hiring Angular developers.
Defining Angular:
Angular is an ideal web framework for creating both single-page apps (SPAs) and progressive web apps (PWAs). It is a comprehensive platform, providing all the features and tools necessary to develop an enterprise-grade web application, particularly for larger-scale projects.
Angular uses TypeScript, a strongly typed programming language developed by Microsoft that compiles to JavaScript. A key advantage of Angular is that TypeScript’s type safety helps reduce bugs and speeds up development.
Perks of Using an Angular
It has come to our attention that Angular is a popular choice among developers. This is likely due to the software’s advantages, which include:
A boost in velocity and efficiency
Angular utilises a variety of optimisation strategies which ensure a swift and efficient experience when using your project. This includes techniques such as lazy loading, tree shaking and Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, thereby ensuring your web application loads quickly and functions optimally.
Rapid growth and improvement
Angular is much more than a simple framework; it provides an extensive range of pre-assembled modules, components and other useful tools. This framework offers a straightforward configuration and setup process, unlike lightweight frameworks such as React and Vue.js.
Wonderful people, and excellent resources
There is a wealth of information available on the Angular framework. Documentation for its APIs, tutorials, best practices and developer guides can be found on its official website. Additionally, the framework is supported by an engaged community of users who are always willing to respond to any queries you may have.
Clean, testable, and readable code
Angular’s TypeScript base facilitates code which is more legible and succinct. It is recommended that you adopt the MVC structure and style guide employed by the framework in order to ensure that any Angular developer is able to comprehend your code.
In addition, the framework comes with testing out of the box. It ships with integration to the Jasmine test framework and Klarna test runner, so you can easily set up unit and end-to-end (E2E) tests. It also provides test and mock modules that make testing easy.
Less cumbersome web-based programmes
Angular is a single-page application framework, meaning it loads the entire site at once and utilises JavaScript to manage any changes to the page without needing a page refresh. If, however, a multi-page application (MPA) is used, the browser will have to reload each time the user navigates between pages on the same site, resulting in a slower browsing experience.
With Angular, your sites load faster and are more lightweight since Angular handles the routing under the hood. This provides for a faster and better user experience.
Procedures for effectively resolving difficulties
Angular is widely praised for its strong focus on problem-solving from the outset. It delivers performance benefits and high-quality code through implementation of patterns such as MVC, factory methods, dependency injection, singletons, commands and laziness. Adopting these principles will ensure your online applications remain scalable, testable and maintainable.
Qualities that make a good Angular developer
Finding an experienced Angular developer can be a challenging task given the wide-ranging scope of the framework. When recruiting for this role, it is important to ensure the applicant has the following key qualifications:
Proficient in Java Script ES6
In 2022, a new version of JavaScript, referred to as JavaScript ES6 or ECMAScript 6, was released. This version of JavaScript includes a number of additional features, such as constants, arrow functions, classes, default parameters, template literals, module imports and promises.
ES6 features are widely supported by top browsers and aid JavaScript with handy features for modern web development. ES6 is quickly becoming the standard way of writing JavaScript, so understanding it and its features is a must for any web developer.
Strong knowledge of dependencies, templates, and directives
Angular development is based on the concepts of directives, templates and dependency injection. It is essential for an Angular developer to have a thorough understanding of these principles, as they form the basis of the framework.
Angular templates are fragments of the user interface (UI) and are written in HTML and Angular-specific syntax, like directives, that alter the DOM to render dynamic content on the UI. Directives are classes that add behavior to your elements. Common directives are `ngIf`, `ngFor`, `ngClass`, and `ngStyle`.
Dependency injection is a design pattern used to decouple Angular apps. It helps by creating service and module dependencies for parts of the app that need them while keeping the module independent.
Knowledge of TypeScript
TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript, offering a more robust and type-safe alternative for developing web applications with increased efficiency and reduced errors.
The ideal hire must be familiar with TypeScript and its features because it’s the language used to write Angular apps. These features include interfaces, type checking, namespaces, and modules. Additionally, Angular developers need to be familiar with the TypeScript compiler and how to use it to build TypeScript files to JavaScript.
Training in reactive programming (RxJS)
Asynchronous and non-blocking concepts are fundamental to the Reactive Programming (RxJS) paradigm, enabling real-time data updates to be propagated throughout a system.
Angular uses reactive programming extensively through the RxJS library. A good Angular developer needs to have a working knowledge of reactive programming to effectively handle data updates in your web app.
A familiarity with API integration
Angular developers are typically experienced in frontend development and must therefore possess the ability to integrate APIs with the backend. Such integration is essential for successful projects.
Developers must be familiar with REST and how to integrate with its standard methods, such as GET, POST, PUT, UPDATE, and DELETE. It’s also beneficial for developers to understand SOAP and GraphQL, as these are common alternatives to RESTful APIs.
Competence in using responsive layouts
Websites built with responsive design scale well to many screen sizes, from mobile to desktop.
A great Angular developer is well-versed in responsive design and can produce websites that look good on every device, whether mobile, tablet, or desktop.
Mechanisms for creating multiple versions of a document
Version control tools enable the tracking and management of code modifications over time. They are especially useful for large, agile development teams, as they facilitate the monitoring of changes between versions and people.
Versioning tools are a must in this day and age of iterative and collaborative programming. Good Angular developers are proficient in versioning tools, including Git, Apache Subversion (SVN), and Mercurial SCM.
Ideally, an Angular developer should also be familiar with repository management tools, such as GitLab, GitHub, and BitBucket, for remote code management.
Resources for doing business remotely and communicating with others
Remote working capabilities are becoming increasingly critical, so a proficient Angular developer should be able to conduct business and collaborate efficiently while working remotely. The most successful developers are those who have the ability to work independently, with minimal supervision, and meet deadlines consistently.
Above and beyond technical skills, a good developer needs to be a great communicator. Your ideal hire needs to work with PMs and technical leads to identify tasks; collaborate with other team members, especially back-end developers and designers; communicate their day-to-day tasks; as well as raise any issues they might face. In addition, they need to have a good working knowledge of popular tools used to power remote work, such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Meet.
Administration and monitoring of procedures
Organisational skills are a desirable attribute in a competent developer. They often demonstrate their expertise through the use of technologies such as Jira, Asana and ClickUp, which are used for tracking issues and processes respectively.
A good developer should maintain timely updates to their backlog as well as up-to-date commits on their version control. It should be easy for key stakeholders to assess the progress and output of the developer.
Finally, some ideas
This article outlined the various expertise and knowledge required of a first-rate Angular developer. Such a professional would be a great asset to any company. Are you looking for a high-calibre Angular Developer to join your team? Start your search now.
