It is increasingly common to see comparisons of React vs. Angular technologies. These two frameworks are growing and very popular among developers as they help build complex applications in less time. In this article, we will compare React and Angular by breaking down each framework so that you can make a better decision while choosing either one.
Web application programming divides design work into two distinct parts. On the one hand, there is the back-end, which deals with creating the code that will manage access to databases or server functions. On the other side is the front-end development, which has to do with the application’s final appearance on the user’s screen.
Naturally, the above division is neither radical nor absolute. React is the open-source JavaScript library, while Angular is a framework written in TypeScript, also open source. So these app development tools are used on the front-end side of web programming.
What is Angular?
Angular is a JavaScript framework. It is written in open-source TypeScript developed and supported by Google to create Single-page application (SPA) type web applications.
Its primary function is to create Single-page application (SPA) type web applications. Many developers flock towards Angular as it helps users create large applications without burdening them with the hassles of maintaining them.
Angular is also a trusted framework for creating dynamic web applications. You can also develop front-end-based applications without using other plug-ins and frameworks. Loved by millions globally, you can use Angular to build features with declarative templates and leverage the extensive collection of pre-existing components or add your own to extend the template language.
Don’t know if you’re traveling the right path? Don’t worry! You can get Angular-related feedback and all the help you require with every IDE and editor at every step of the way.
Highlights of Angular
- Built-in support for AJAX, HTTP, and observables
- Up-to-date with current technologies
- Time saving
- Concise coding
- Timely updates
- Shadow DOM
What is React?
ReactJS or React is the JavaScript-based UI development library developed and supported by Facebook used to create User Interfaces for web applications.
ReactJS is primarily considered a library rather than a language and is widely used in web development. With React, what you get is more than what you see. React also offers extensions for application architectural support with Flux and React Native.
Most beginners flock to React as it’s a breeze for anyone to create interactive UIs. When making changes in each stage of application building, React JS updates and renders only the right React components when the data changes. Another advantage of React is creating new features without re-writing existing code.
However, it’s important to note that React elements can’t be changed as they are immutable. The only way to change an element is to render a new one each time.
It’s also essential to point out two concepts in this description:
React will always run on the client-side, unlike Angular, which can run on the Angular Universal server.
The two are defined as a library and not as a framework. A framework provides less flexibility than a library, but it offers more productivity, limitations, and homogeneity in working.
Highlights of React
- Also works with third-party libraries
- Supported by Facebook
- Improved user experience
- Fast
- Code stability
Next, let’s understand what are the differences between Angular and React: The technical aspects?
Angular vs. React: The Differences
A web application, in its interface, performs a combination of HTML elements, style sheets, and JavaScript. We are looking for an attractive way to present the information while defining the actions that will occur when interacting with it.
It may be a good idea to explain what DOM is?
What is DOM?
DOM stands for “Document Object Model.” Do note that the term ‘document’ is used in a broad sense. So, before you picture a typical document, think more of it as data rather than documents. Dom is an “application programming interface (API) for HTML and XML documents. It defines the logical structure of documents and the way a document is accessed and manipulated.”
XML represents different kinds of information stored in various systems. To add, change, and remove elements or content, programmers can use the DOM and also use it to build documents.
DOM & Performance
The DOM model of HTML objects is usually insufficient for the degree of graphic definition that we currently demand in a web page. In the construction of these structures, many repeated actions occur that can be simplified. That is possible either with JavaScript library, in case of Angular, or with programming framework, in case of React.
Angular is a framework developed and maintained by Google that condenses a series of common web development patterns. Its function is to accelerate the fine-tuning of the code in its most significant parts, freeing programmers from frequent and repetitive actions.
Meanwhile, React is a JavaScript library launched by Facebook. As a library, group functions, and objects of this programming language is for a definite purpose. It applies the basic idea that is similar to the Angular case but on different elements. However, their utilities remain similar.
The main differences between these two technologies can be summarized as follows:
• The architecture of the applied model is different, MVC, for Angular, while for React, it is of the flux type for unidirectional data flow.
• The development languages are different.
• Performance in React is superior because it requires fewer instructions when implementing a virtual DOM.
- Angular is a full-featured framework and provides inputs in the design process of your application. Many small libraries work together in developing complex applications. With React, the library is only concerned with UI components. Implementing MVC design requires Flux, yet it gives you more options to organize your code.
- Angular supports both one-way and two-way data binding. When the UI input is modified, it will change the model state. React supports only one-way binding. Therefore, the UI element won’t affect the component’s state.
- Angular may take a short time to set up but may increase coding times. On the other hand, ReactJS takes a long time to set up but is suitable for building apps quickly.
- Angular is a good choice for large-scale and feature-rich applications. At the same time, React is suitable for modern web development and native-rendered app development for iOS and Android devices.
Now, let’s get to the specifics.
Data Binding
The idea of components in React is analogous to the operation of a modular building kit. The web interface is broken down into more straightforward elements, but with significant repetition in standard web developments. Since we are talking about a JavaScript library, the essential components are functions and classes.
The way to group these functions is by various means of manipulating the DOM of a web page to present its elements. Using these components increases the degree of abstraction of a model that significantly simplifies the work of the chopping code to define a web interface’s final appearance.
On the other hand, components in Angular are HTML-like tags that can be created or extended to define elements that are frequently repeated. The idea is similar to using a design pattern that only needs to set the parameters that customize it.
ReactJs and Angular architecture are separate in regular application making. In different apps, the model to be applied.
The time-saving in writing code is considerable. There is also a significant reduction in errors by focusing on programmers’ activity on the characteristics of the site applications.
TypeScript vs JavaScript/Flow
JavaScript was born as a language interpreted from the need to endow web pages with dynamic behavior when performing any action on a web interface. The language was the best due to the successive extensions of capabilities in each stable version published.
TypeScript comes from Microsoft to tailor the enormous capabilities of JavaScript for particular purposes. If being flexible was a highly valued and distinctive feature of JavaScript in TypeScript, the chief merit lies in defining and typing the elements that make up the language.
The advantage of TypeScript over JavaScript is to decrease code errors and speed up its production by a more exceptional ability of IDEs to complete expressions, functions, and statements.
The activities of refactoring, importing and extracting with the code multiply. As a negative point compared to JavaScript, there is the one to add a component. This, you will have to count on to carry out radical updates or reforms of the project.
With the concurrence of programming languages, the degree of professional demand for the developer team grows considerably. But, despite everything, it has a large and enthusiastic group of followers.
Templates of Angular vs. React: Differences and Similarities
The templates in AngularJS have the imprint of HTML since they work under its logic. ReactJS, by contrast, centers its modes of action on JavaScript. In the first case, errors made in programming are verified at runtime of the code itself. While, in the case of React, failures should be sought with a separate examination of the template.
For both React and Angular, there are a large number of themes already tested in countless projects. They work in some ways as other prevalent frameworks such as Bootstrap, Skeleton, or SproutCore.
When there is a significant similarity between several projects, the diffusion of technology well adapted to the requirements unequivocally triumphs over the others.
Framework vs. Library: Component Architecture
As previously stated, the differences between framework and library refer to how to save the time of developing the source code. The framework establishes its development pattern that increases the degree of abstraction of the actions by dividing the interface elements into categories.
The libraries act on the functions and classes of the Web development script language (almost always JavaScript) so that the data and parameter instructions are less burdensome. With far fewer calls to action or guidance, a very satisfactory level of execution is reached.
In the end, it’s about having a bunch of very repeated actions grouped by category. The final assembly will come from a simplified intervention at its main extremes.
React and Angular mobile solutions
The way a website is viewed on mobile devices is crucial in the current scenario of web development. A good part of the traffic comes from mobile devices, and search engines appreciate offering preferential treatment in these media.
How React or Angular can affect mobile solutions:
• The adaptability of web applications to the dimensions of the screens.
• The loading speed of the web application.
• The user experience improved and that all operations can be completed as if it were a desktop PC.
Angular forces somewhat larger file uploads while React is subject to some proprietary Facebook licensed solutions. The React community also has a specific weight, since globally, it is superior to that which supports Angular. On the other hand, in its product category, Angular has intense competition for other trendy frameworks currently.
But, in both technologies, there is the ability for a web application built with them to be widely accepted on mobile devices. Here is a comparison of popularity between Angular and React among the developers.
What well-known companies use Angular and React JS?
The use of Angular is closely linked to the language on which it is built, TypeScript. Companies that use this technology are for this and other reasons involved in some parts of its development. We have, for example, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Github, Slack, and Walmart, among others.
React involves Facebook, Airbnb, Uber, Pinterest, and Netflix. The ability to form light and high-performance applications is one of the qualities most valued by these companies. The new trending Project Management and Productivity platform Get Things Done was initially built on Angular but recently migrated to React. There are some excellent examples of the ReactJs framework usage in Get Things Done SaaS application. You can take a look at the product and compare the same with the details given below.
Moving from Angular to React with Get Things Done?
While building SaaS-based, metrics-driven project management and productivity tool, it is vital to consider a wide range of scenarios. As the target audience, what are the preferred platforms, what is the problem the platform is trying to solve, demographics, and many more?
The vision of Get Things Done is to ‘Accelerate Human Productivity’; therefore, mimicking Trello, Basecamp, Asana, Zoho, and all the others will not work and even if it is done it will not create differentiation. Therefore we delved deep inside and reimagined the entire interface based on people’s frustration using tools that overwhelm users with information.
Initially, Get Things Done was built on Angular, and we ran the pilot (MVP) and launched the product with Angular. But later, it became difficult to use functionalities and features like multi-generational workflow, rendering notifications and comments, pagination, workload allocation using complex calendar interface, and many more. We decided to move to React, and the current web app is on React, and it is really robust and smooth.
