Everything About Angular 17 Update: Release Date, Features & More

Summary

Angular 17, the upcoming release of the popular development framework, is set to bring exciting updates and features to enhance the developer experience. One of the notable additions is the built-in syntax for control flow, which allows for more expressive and efficient template syntax.

Another key feature in Angular 17 is the introduction of deferrable views. Templates can now load their dependencies lazily, improving performance by deferring the rendering and execution of certain elements until they are actually needed. This feature is particularly useful for optimizing large templates or dynamic views, providing a smoother user experience.

These updates in Angular 17 are a result of the Angular team’s continuous efforts to address the needs and feedback of the developer community. With each major version, Angular continues to empower developers with powerful features and an intuitive syntax.

Today, this blog post will talk all about the release of Angular 17 in November, and discover how these new features can elevate your Angular applications to the next level of efficiency and functionality.

Furthermore, you can also hire AngularJS developers and leverage these exclusive features to create highly engaging web applications.

When is Angular 17 Releasing?

To ensure stability, reliability, and innovation, Angular releases major updates every six months. As for minor releases, you will get 1-3 for each major release. Besides this, you can see patch releases every week.

As for 2023, let’s check the release schedule of various Angular versions!

The probable Angular 17 release date is 6th November 2023, or anytime in that week. After the release of Angular v17, you can expect 6 months of active support with regularly scheduled updates and patch releases.

After this period, the Angular version receives LTS (Long-term support) which only takes care of the security patches and critical fixes. So, all major releases like Angular 17 update are supported by Google for 18 months.

Angular 17 Expected New Features

Angular 17 is the highly anticipated release scheduled for November, bringing with it a range of exciting features and improvements. Let’s check what to expect from this update!

1. Support for TypeScript 5.2

The latest edition of TypeScript features an array of great functionalities that can help with Angularjs performance optimization. Let’s check the multiple ways Typescript 5.2 support can benefit you!

• Faster Recursive Type Checking
  If you utilize code or libraries that make use of recursive types, you can expect to experience performance enhancements with TypeScript 5.2, showing a significant boost of 33% in performance based on tests.
• New Declarative Control Flow Syntax
  The new built-in control flow syntax in Angular 17 will help write and manage codes effortlessly. Its syntax is similar to those in programming languages like Javascript and Python based on the @syntax.
  Use the following steps to utilize the new declarative control flow syntax:
  I. First, import the @angular/core module.
  II. Add @ prefix to name control flow directive. For instance, you can use @if in place of ngIf.
  III. You can use @ directive to wrap the content you want to display conditionally.
  IV. Evaluate the condition by passing an expression to the @ directive. The content is displayed only if the expression evaluates to true.
  Example:
  Way to use the @if directive to display content when isLoggedIn variable is true.

  <div @if=”isLoggedIn”>

    You are logged in.

  </div>

  @else and @elseif directives are used to create more complex logic.
  Example:

  <div @if=”role === ‘admin'”>

    You are an admin.

  </div>

  <div @else if=”role === ‘user'”>

    You are a user.

  </div>

  <div @else>

    You are not logged in.

  </div>

  Writing and maintaining complex logic has become much easier with the new declarative control flow syntax.

• Say Bye to Memory Leaks
  When programming, it is extremely important to ensure that the memory used by your application remains clean and maintained. Memory leaks can result from not properly closing resources after they are no longer needed, leading to excessive use of system memory and potentially resulting in crashing.
  Image SourceUsing the keyword ‘new’ allows us to control these problem areas, as it ensures that any resources referenced using new will be automatically released when the scope they were declared in has been completed.In addition to this, a variety of other classes are also available for more efficient handling of resources. For example, the use of ‘Using’ in the following snippet to define a cleanup function!Image Source
• Decorator Programming With Metadata is Now Supported
  Image SourceDecorators are a programming concept used to add metadata or behavior to functions, methods, or classes in a more organized and reusable manner. This update suggests that the framework or language now fully supports and integrates decorators for managing metadata within code, making it more robust and efficient for developers.
  In the above example, the @Serialize decorator is used to annotate a few elements of the class. When we use this instruction, it can check metadata that’s stored somewhere else. This metadata tells us which parts of the class can be serialized. It’s like putting sticky notes on items to say what can be packed up in a box later.
• Typescript 5.2 Understands Unions of Arrays
  The earlier TypeScript versions didn’t understand the union of arrays. Take the following code snippet for example!
  Image SourceSince the union doesn’t have a defined filter method, it wouldn’t have worked earlier. But with Typescript 5.2, it will work just fine.
• No Unintentional Mutations
  Sometimes when you modify an array, the app would go to Nether. But, that’s changing with the 4 new functions in Typescript 5.2 (shown in the image below).
  Image Source
  So, instead of using classical methods to change the array, you can now use these explicitly to indicate you want a copy of the array.
• No Missing Commas Anymore
  Image SourceIt might appear like a simple update, but it can be quite useful for coders. Even when you forget to add commas while defining the list of object properties, Typescript 5.2 will help you out with this.
• Improved Code Navigation
  Being able to quickly find where things are defined and how they’re used is crucial for efficient development. However, in TypeScript and web projects in general, it doesn’t always work as smoothly as expected.
  Sometimes, you end up in a file that only defines things, or the language service can’t locate where things are defined or their use cases for various reasons. TypeScript 5.2 is working on a solution using inlays to help you navigate to definitions. Currently, this feature is available in VSCode Insiders.

2. Automatic Removal of CSS

One of the Angular 17 features is the automatic removal of CSS from the DOM when the component is destroyed. It helps with the smooth functioning of your application without problems like RAM overheating.

3. Some Router Properties Moved to ProvideRouter and RouterModule.forRoot

• paramsInheritanceStrategy
• urlUpdateStrategy
• canceledNavigationResolution
• malformedUriErrorHandler ( moved to UrlSerializer.parse)
• titleStrategy
• urlHandlingStrategy

4. Errors When Lazy Loaded Images Slow Down Page Render

In development mode, a tool called NgOptimizedImages (which deals with images in web apps) can now tell when certain images are crucial for the initial app loading. If you don’t specify that these images are a top priority, they are loaded slowly, making the first app load take a long time.
To help you remember to make these images a priority and improve your app’s speed, the tool will show an error message in the console if you don’t set them as important. This error message is helpful because it prompts you to take action and enhance your app’s performance.

5. Opt-in Support for View Transitions API

If you want to change the content of DOM element like div and animate it, the new browser API supports it. This View Transition API is supported by multiple browsers including Chrome, Opera, Chrome Android, Edge, Samsung Internet, and WebView Android.
Typically, you will need to combine CSS and JS to orchestrate everything. But with the release of Android 17, you get the new opt-in-based support.

6. StyleURL Files Will be in Definition

This change in language service is helpful with navigation as you will be able to access the CSS file defined in StyleURL from the Definition section.

7. Set Up Routes for Testing Differently

You can now use provideRouter and RouterModule.forRoot to set up routes for testing instead of setupTestingRouter.

8. Must Upgrade to Node.js 18.13.0

The Angular preview shows that you must update your Node.js version to 18.13.0 or higher. That’s the minimum supported Node version for Angular 17.
That’s a wrap on the most anticipated features of Angular 17!
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Conclusion

As we eagerly anticipate the release of Angular 17, it’s clear that the Angular team is committed to pushing the boundaries of web development. With each update, Angular continues to evolve, offering new possibilities and solutions to the ever-changing challenges of modern web applications.
This update particularly highlights the improved navigational and development capabilities for faster performance of your Angular applications.
In the fast-paced world of Angular news, staying informed and adaptable is key to staying ahead. So, brace yourself for the next exciting chapter in Angular’s journey, and remember that in the world of web development, change is the only constant.
Stay curious, stay agile, and stay ready to embrace the future of Angular. 🚀