AngularJS and Bootstrap CSS: Why Angular is a Good Buy For Your Team

As we discussed in the introductory blog in this series, AngularJS is an open source web application framework which is maintained by Google and a group or community of corporations and individual developers. It was developed to address the numerous challenges that developers and organizations face when developing single page or static applications.

So, just a quick review of the Angular series to date before we conclude, we’ve talked about why developers like to use it and how it works well for an array of website building projects, for single page applications, and especially when paired with Web API. In this Final blog in this series, let’s bring it all together.

As many developers will tell you, HTML is very good when you are declaring static documents but it fails miserably once you try declaring dynamic views in a web application. AngularJS comes in quite handy in this regard because it does allow developers to extend HTML vocabulary into an application, in the end giving you an environment that’s quick to develop, easy to read, and very expressive.

In simple terms, it is a set of tools specifically meant to help you and your team to build the framework that’s most suited to the application which you and your team are developing. It is not only fully extensible, but it also works extremely well with libraries from other development platforms. As a matter of fact, every feature of Angular can either be replaced or modified to suit the unique development workflow your team may be employing.

The framework is also well organized and does provide developers with a structure that guides them through the process of building a complete application; from designing the user interface to writing the required business logic to carrying out thorough and up-to-date testing of the application before deploying it and anything in between. 

It is worth noting that, with Angular, it's easy to create reusable components. This has the major advantage of allowing developers to separately focus on either how the application looks or focus on what the application does. This is possible because the components will allow developers to hide all those complex structures and behaviors unique to the application being developed. The framework basically decouples the server side of an application from the application side, in the process; it does allow your team of developers to work in parallel. This has the added advantage of saving time and allowing the team to re-use either side. 

With current applications, localization is very important. It is imperative for any app to be readily available in all locations. AngularJS achieves this by availing features which gives the developer the appropriate building blocks to ensure your application is availed in all required locales. 

One of the major benefits of this framework is that if you have already invested in other technologies then there is no need to worry because AngularJS does work pretty well with all kinds of different technologies. It is possible to add as much or as little as you desire to an existing page within a very short time. The main difference with other alternative frameworks is that they usually require full commitment or entire overhaul of the page.

It is also worth noting that this framework was designed, from the ground up, to be testable. It does this by basically considering the process of application testing to be as important as the process of application writing, this is because the code used in structured in such a way that makes testing not only simple to perform but also more accurate.

So, we hope that you've enjoyed and learned something about AngularJS by way of this series. It can be a very good friend to you developers out there. Now go forth and create!

AngularJS and Bootstrap CSS: The Symbiosis of AngularJS and Web API

In 2009, Google introduced a new application, AngularJS, and changed the field of website development. As we mentioned in the introductory blog in this series, it is a structural framework of dynamic web-apps. Developers love it and it works for an array of website building projects and is especially useful for single page applications. Now, let’s discuss why Angular is even better when partnered with Web API.

Every now and then a product comes along that just makes web design easy to implement for the ordinary man on the street. AngularJS and Web API are pioneers in their respective fields, simplifying HTML and HTTP respectively. 

AngularJS by Google

For any business that only runs a single page application, AngularJS will simplify and address the many areas of struggle experienced. Run as an open-source web application framework, you have the assistance of Google developers and companies to assist with errors and coding issues. It provides the person who is writing the code the opportunity to view it within the client-side model-view-controller (MVC) architecture, making it easier to navigate. This gives the coder the opportunity to access components usually limited to rich internet applications. Angular is built to ensure user interfaces and software components by using programming that specifically performs the “what” function. The business logic side is managed by imperative programming, which works off of algorithms. This simply means that the outcome changes with certain inputs and that the program aligns itself to that. 

This, of course, means that a business has access to all the bells and whistles that multiple-page users have, in a single page application. The fact that it is an open-source web application means that the maintenance and upkeep are up to Google to implement, which leaves your hands free to run your business. 

Web API by ASP.NET

This is quite possibly one of the most important aspects to take into consideration when you are trying to get your website out there. Web API uses the full features of HTTP including passing various content types, using ETags through versioning and concurrency and using and creating URI templates and then creating Task URI’s in the response. Web API is most commonly known for its ability to define browser cache controls. Getting your business to the next level will mean controlling the browser cache. What this means is that, when you have an active Web API that has a browser control cache, when people search for information on the internet and your hot words, keywords, or key tags are highlighted, the chances of your pages coming up first will be much higher than without the browser cache control. The combination of the browser cache control and the use of ETags make it almost certain that when anyone searches the products or services you offer, your website will be displayed first. 

The Symbiosis

It is recommended that these two programs be installed together to ensure that your business is able to leverage from both aspects of programming. First, getting a proper application in place and second, ensuring that the whole world gets to see it. Without the combination of these two aspects, chances are very good that your website will be one in a million with very little chance of actually being noticed. You also want to ensure that when it is noticed, your potential customers have full access to the entire page without experiencing technical issues. The potential increase in revenue streams is most certainly enough to consider applying these two programs together.
 

Join us next week for the sixth and final blog in this series when we wrap our argument on why Angular is such a fantastic alternative programming application.

AngularJS and Bootstrap CSS: Single Page Applications and Responsive Web Design

An old saying, “the first impression is the last impression” certainly holds true in the business world. Even when you provide quality services to your customers, if the impression of your website is poor, your business will be affected. Impressions matter to your customers  and in today’s world, your website is your calling card in many cases.

The era of static websites and apps are replaced by the dynamic and they have become one of the best ways to boost any business. People want to move quickly through any website with fast processing speed.

In 2009, Google introduced a new application, AngularJS, and it changed the field of website development. As we mentioned in the introductory blog in this series, it is a structural framework of dynamic web-apps. Developers love it and it works for an array of website building projects.

Angular shortens the HTML code of a website and merges all the web pages into the single page application. Single page applications are currently the most popular sites as they reduce the HTML code and are not a burden on the browser, even as it quickly loads the other pages of the site. It is an open source, high-level web application framework that is particularly developed for business owners to improve the quality and functionality of the website.  

The goal of the AngularJS is to simplify the application development and testing based on the client side with rich internet application components through the single page application (SPA). The SPA converts the website into the best quick and responsive website. Angular reduces the browsing load from both server and client end. The exact state or layout of a website remains the same and uses the code of the index page for the layout to load once. When the user wants to visit another page on the same website, only the data from the new page will be loaded while the layout remains. The function of the single page application is the same as the applications used in smartphones and tablets. The applications load quickly and in the same layout in smartphones and tablets. 

With a single page application, business owners can create a quick and responsive website, which can be particularly appealing to businesses with e-commerce sites. The products are loaded quickly along with the online transaction pages with fewer loads on both the client and the server side. The two-way data bandwidth is saved and, most importantly, millions of users can visit the website simultaneously without any timeout of the server.

Benefits of AngularJS Single Page Applications:

• Two-way data binding

• Templates

• Full testing environment for developers

• Strong server communication from client end

• Deep-linking of web pages

• De-coupling client side and server side

• Model view controller (MVC)

• Easy to adopt for the User Interface (UI) developer

• Strong community

Since Google developed the Angular application for business owners all over the world for the quick loading of the web pages and faster transactions, the single page application has become the best way for quick, responsive websites. Not yet convinced of the benefits? Stop back next week when we talk about Angular and Web API by ASP.NET and how they can work really well together.

AngularJS and Bootstrap CSS: Running The Rule For Your Projects

So far, this blog series has provided an introduction to AngularJS and why it's a good investment as well as detailing why developers like it. So, now let’s talk about why one may want to use it for new projects.

Fifteen years ago, it would have taken a brave developer to bet on JavaScript emerging as the de facto front-end language of the web. These days though, there's not a development team in town that doesn't lean on it heavily at several points in the stack.

As adoption increases and the language matures, the need for structure in handling JavaScript across a project has become clear. All too many early projects ended up devolving into unmaintainable messes of spaghetti code. The need for frameworks, as pioneered by other languages such as Ruby and Python, swiftly became obvious to all concerned. 

Several strong JavaScript frameworks soon emerged and in the last couple of years the number of new entries to the market has truly exploded. Business owners and IT leads are understandably reluctant to bet the farm on whatever is the latest shiny new toy making waves on GitHub, however. 

They're looking for something stable, battle tested in the field, with an active community and a clear product road map. This approach narrows down the candidates considerably. Partly due to its high profile backing from Google, AngularJS is the JavaScript framework at the top of many people's lists. Let's take a quick look at some of the reasons you might consider looking at AngularJS for your next project.

A Large Developer Talent Pool

Angular is established enough by this stage that an in-depth understanding of its best practices is virtually de rigueur for any high-level JavaScript programmer. Basing your project on Angular will help you attract some of the best front-end developers in the business to your team. How to locate Angular specialists was discussed in the second installation in this series if you’d like some guidance.

Easier Onboarding for New Developers

Angular's modular component structure and commonly shared set of assumptions means that your project comes with an easily understandable, clearly defined scaffolding straight out of the gate. New team members will have no trouble instantly grasping this intuitively and starting to productively contribute. The days of month-long hand-holding sessions just to get up to speed will be in your past.

Improved Code Reusability

No developer worth their salt relishes re-inventing the wheel across projects. Using AngularJS encourages your team not to waste time repeating themselves. Instead, they'll naturally lean towards developing tight, reusable components that are easier to troubleshoot and can be re-used down the line to increase velocity on future projects. 

Mature Testing Environment

Taking the time to set up adequate testing is all too often kicked to the curb on JavaScript heavy projects. The resulting chaos that ensues when changes are required has burned more than a few teams in the past. Angular comes with solid and well thought out testing best practices so that you can be sure of getting your project off on the right foot from the start. 

That's just four of the obvious benefits AngularJS can potentially bring to your project. You'll discover plenty more as you take it for a spin Let's finish with a quick word on a classic real-life use case where Angular might be a good fit. 

It's not necessarily perfect for every project, but if you're tasked with building a single-page application that relies on delivering value through a heavily responsive interface, Angular JS is going to save you an awful lot of heartache. Begin by letting some of your team experiment with it for prototyping on larger projects and you'll be able to safely see if it might work for you.

Hopefully you’re learning just how valuable this language is becoming. Join us next week to learn about the benefits of AngularJS single page applications.

AngularJS and Bootstrap CSS: Developers

It is getting easier by the day to find developers who have adopted AngularJS. Whether the people you are working with are freelancers or full-time employees, there is a compelling argument for them learning AngularJS now or in the near future. 

As we discussed in part 1 of this series, AngularJS is JavaScript web application framework. Originally developed as an open-source project aiming to create a framework that improves on the traditional uses of HTML, AngularJS is now maintained by a number of Google employees while retaining its open-source origins. As a result, you will find developers and freelancers have drastically varied levels of knowledge on the subject, depending on their interest in open-source projects. Those that do use it tend to love it.

Why Developers like Angular

AngularJS allows developers to bridge the gap between HTML and the functionality of single-page applications. It makes it easy to produce declarative UI and eliminates a lot of the difficulty that comes with managing dependencies, resulting in easier parallel development. Angular also makes data-binding more straightforward than any other framework out there: it removes the need to create complex models for connecting the UI to the treatment of data, and your developers will be able to spend less time writing the same code repeatedly. These are just some of the key factors that make AngularJS an attractive prospect for developers. It’s an ongoing project, and the end goal is to vastly improve testing and provide structure for the entire application building process. 

To put the advantages more simply, AngularJS allows developers and freelancers to write code that works easily with different controls and, combined with Web API, functions more smoothly on a range of devices. 

Locating Angular Specialists

You may be wondering how to find developers and freelancers who specialize in AngularJS, or who at least have a decent level of knowledge to build upon. The answer is that front-end developers have been rather slow in adopting AngularJS in large numbers, but specialists are out there. Despite being around since its early stages in 2009, Angular is still working to win over the majority of experts. The main issue seems to be that developers and web development freelancers in general are hesitant to invest great amounts of time and money in a framework that is still relatively new. It has undergone numerous changes across different versions, as one would expect, but there have been issues. For example, the Angular team’s Chrome extension, Batarang, was released in 2012. Since Angular has been updated, the plugin has been left behind and is incompatible with recent versions, irritating some users.  Despite this, however, there are several good sites to visit in order to find freelance AngularJS developers, such as Elance, Guru, and Toptal. For some helpful hints on finding the perfect freelancer, check out one of our past blog posts, Tips on Choosing the Best Freelance Site for your Needs.

Developers have primarily been migrating to AngularJS - or at least picking it up - from backgrounds in Java, as the styles are fairly similar. However, the aim of Angular is to simplify complex tool selections like the ones offered by JavaScript, so the appeal does extend to experts in a range of languages. In time, this simplicity and the diversity of AngularJS will win over developers at both the front and the back end, and will save hugely on costs by making the development process much simpler. 

Stop back next week and check out the third installation in this series which will delineate the benefits of AngularJS in even more detail.

AngularJS and Bootstrap CSS: It's Time to Invest

AngularJS, also known as Angular, is an application maintained by Google as well as a series of individual developers and corporations to address many challenges faced in developing single page applications. Angular is an open source web application framework, the main purpose of which is to simplify the development and testing of the application by providing a framework for the model view controller (MVC), that is, the client-side architecture, and also in commonly used internet applications. Angular implements MVC pattern so as to distinguish presentation, data, and logic components.

Angular adapts and utilizes traditional HTML to present dynamic content, whereby it allows the automatic synchronization of models and views by using the two-way data binding. Therefore, the framework insists on its testability and performance being up-to-date. There are many versions of AngularJS, such as versions 1.3 and 2.0, which are modified to accommodate more features.

Purposes of the AngularJS

AngularJS makes the application testing of equal importance to application writing. For the writing to be easy, the code structure should not be a hard nut to crack. The application also aims at separating the client side of the application from the server side. This helps the progress of the project being done and both sides are easy to use. It also helps in designing, writing, and testing of a business logic. That is, it aids in building an application. Most businesses make use of this advantage since their work has just been made easy for them. It also works by separating the document object model (DOM) manipulations from the framework logic. This helps improve the testability of the code.

AngularJS Bootstrap

Also known as the Bootstrap CSS, AngularJS Bootstrap makes the front end web development faster and easier. Bootstrap is designed so that it can be used by just about anyone, without any skills needed. It scales all your applications with a single code base and it is also applicable for use in your phone, desktop, and tablet.

Advantages of Bootstrap

With the use of this awesome application you get to use the beautiful documentation for HTML and CSS components. This makes it suitable for use by many writers and businesses since the work is really presentable. Bootstrap is commonly used in online sites due to its extremely user-friendly features.
 

Both Angular and Bootstrap are applications in which it is worthwhile to invest. The Angular application provides security to the user company because of less hacking to the company’s database. Angular is known for its declarative programming and is therefore used for building user interfaces and connecting the software components. There is also the imperative type of programming, whereby it is well suited for defining the business logic. The task of the AngularJS Bootstrapper occurs in phases after the DOM has been loaded. 

Also, the two way data binding features have its perks in that it reduces the amount and length of the code written and hence relieves the server of the backend responsibilities. The scope also modifies the HTML expression view and model by use of a controller. With all of these features, and many more, a company that uses the AngularJS and the Bootstrap can attest to how well this works for them. Also, you don’t have to worry about the versions being inadequate since, after every modification, you can always update your Angular application.

 
Hopefully, this AngularJS introduction and why it is a worthwhile investment has left you wanting more! Stop back next week for the second post in this blog series, when we talk about AngularJS and why Developers like it.