Comparison of two technologies React and Angular
The application interface determines how comfortable users will feel when using it. And the first step to be taken is to choose the right technology.
The network is replete with data on React vs. Angular comparison. Some even object to such a comparison. How can I compare a framework (Angular) with a library (React)? However, discussions are still ongoing. So we want to share our opinion to make your choice easier.
Choose React if:
You need a modular interface structure for your application.
You are looking for a personalized solution that will leave enough space for your project.
Your project is a one-page application such as a chat room, data visualization application or even online game.
You are planning a SEO promotion.
Then you plan to create a cross-platform mobile application using React Native.
Choose Angular if:
You create a large-scale single-page web application.
The application will have many features and contain active content.
Your goal is a long-term project.
You are thinking of creating a combined or sequential web application instead of a native or cross-platform mobile application.
Before starting a technical comparison, let’s take a look at how circulated these technologies are among customers and performers. Since it is important not only to select the right technology, but also to find qualified developers in your region. A good indicator is the number of vacancies on specialized resources. Figures are given on average for each site, without reference to the region.
The graph shows that React is still the most popular front-end technology among both customers and software developers.
After a brief overview, let us understand the intricacies of the choice and what to consider when choosing a technology.
Basic language React and Angular
React is based on JavaScript. For templates, however, it uses JSX, which is controversial. Some people praise JSX and call it faster, safer and simple than JavaScript. Others scold and prefer to choose the ES6 standard or traditional JavaScript form.
TypeScript is the main language for Angular. It supports static typing as well as decorators, interfaces and classes. Static analysis is an undeniable merit of the language. It allows the compiler to find misprints or errors immediately. TypeScript is already a standard language for Angular. The technology has a complicated set of types, and it is very difficult to work with it without TypeScript.
Architecture
The structure of both instruments is based on components. But the difference between them is huge. React, in fact, is a representation of the layer. It doesn’t define the structure of an application. Components in React are simply JS functions. When you create a reaction stack, you get more freedom of action. This, however, brings a big problem with it- finding all the components of the project structure. To some extent, you can fix it by creating a React application that structures the project.
The hierarchy of Angular components is complex. For example, functionality and structure act as an integrated whole. Applications created with Angular are modular and are part of the NgModule system. It groups components by their properties. This is what the Angular application looks like:
- Making HTML templates with Angular markup.
- Writing components classes to control these templates.
- Adding application logic to service.
- Combining components and services in modules.
Unlike React, Angular offers a consistent structure without deferred loading.
Document Object Model
The tools differ in the way the data is updated. Angular uses real DOM. This means that any minor change you apply requires updating the entire data structure. React uses a virtual DOM. This is an abstract copy of the real DOM. You can use it to create a highly dynamic user interface. This speeds up the handling of UI objects and the implementation of changes in real time. Simply put, React is ahead of Angular.
Data binding
Data binding processes data synchronization between model and view. One-way synchronization means that the data go in one direction. In this case, the view is automatically updated whenever the application state changes. With one-way data binding, properties move from maternal component to subsidiary. In React, the thread is unidirectional. The model update is reflected in the form of changes in properties. To process updates, an additional mechanism is required. Here is where Redux will be useful, we will tell you about it a bit later.
Angular has bidirectional or bilateral data binding. In this case, changes at one end of the binding respectively lead to changes at the other end.
Server Rendering
Rendering as a whole looks like this: Data => HTML + CSS => visual representation.
Traditionally, HTML and CSS have been provided by the server based on the data it has. They were then presented visually by the browser. This approach is very advantageous for SEO. For example, it is necessary to add a newly created element to the list without updating the page after sending the form. The trick is that HTML from the data was originally prepared by the server. Thus, JavaScript did not know how to convert raw data to another element (HTML) from the list. To cope with this, you can duplicate the conversion of data to HTML. Another option is to provide modified HTML content from the server to JS. But this is not always convenient.
The idea behind Server Side Rendering (SSR) is to fix this. The JavaScript components used by the browser are displayed on the server side. The raw data is converted to HTML. This ensures faster loading of the header page using HTTP caching. SSR combines the power of initial content download with the power of fast subsequent responses. It also allows to make your application convenient for search engines with history and social networks.
Angular and React are good examples of client side rendering. However, both can be displayed on the server as well. Angular Universal is a library designed to create projects that support server-side rendering. It also allows to make your application convenient for SEO. One of the great things about React is the ability to run the same code on the client side and the server side. This means that the components are separated between the browser and the server. If you want to display React on the server side, you can use certain frameworks such as Next.JS or Razzle. Client Side Rendering can be configured without any additional tools.
Absorption curve
Naturally, the software engineer must have some experience to master each technology. We assume that knowledge of JavaScript and, say, ES6+ is a given. However, some things can cause learning difficulties. For Angular, you need to make friends with Typescript. Experience in NET and Java experience will be an advantage. Also, be prepared to face a huge list of topics to learn. It includes templates, components, decorators, zones and many more. Studying additional tools such as RxJS is another challenge.
In the case of React, JSX is the first thing to work on. It is not scary as it seems, because the logical structures are the same as in JS. But a HTML-like design can cause you some difficulties. Another difficult part is to study additional libraries and tools.
In the context of learning Angular vs React, the latter is much simpler. Even a little experience in external design will not prevent you from mastering this tool. We hope that our article has helped you to understand the nuances and make the right choice.