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Top 35 AngularJS to Angular migration tools

Top 35 AngularJS to Angular migration tools

AngularJS to Angular

March 16, 20228 min read

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ver the past few months, the AVAteam has shared a ton of helpful information related to the migration process with the blog's readers. In the last months, our experts have shared first-hand experience on what fate awaits Angular 1 and Angular 2+, helped with the preparation and migrating plan, etc. Today we're finally done with the collection of migration tools.

Highly valuable AngularJS to Angular migration tools

In a new article, you'll find 35 handy libraries, plugins, and software that simplify the migration process. Not the fact you'll use all of them; no doubt you'll find at least one essential AngularJS to Angular migration tool in the list. The list of instruments is divided into subcategories for more straightforward navigation.

CLIs, frameworks, and runtime systems

  1. NodeJS: NodeJS: it's a JS (JavaScript) runtime environment responsible for the back-end component of a web project. Since this technology is part of the MEAN stack (MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and NodeJS), you cannot do without it when migrating to a newer platform version.
  2. TypeScript(TS): this is the basis for the successful upgrade to the new Angular framework. The second and later versions of the technology were developed based on this particular programming language. You 100% will not make the AngularJS migration to Angular if you don't install TS beforehand.
  3. Angular CLI: it is the official instrument used to work with Angular-based products. Roughly speaking, with this AngularJS to Angular migration tool, you build the backbone of your web apps. Using the library, it's easier for programmers to set up configurations and adjust projects to the given parameters.

Libraries and modules for the AngularJS migration to Angular

  1. ngUpgrade: according to The Frontend Company team, this is the most valuable instrument when upgrading a platform. NgUpgrade is the official library suitable for upgrading large and small apps. Its main task is to combine TS- and JS-based frameworks components harmoniously. This tool is configured so that coders can do the work of switching AngularJS-based source code to TypeScript-based one.
  2. NgModule: it's another extremely handy AngularJS to Angular migration tool, working directly in link with UpgradeModule. This decorator tags the class correctly and maintains metadata for configurations.
  3. app.module.ts: since every project involves using at least one NgModule class, you will probably need this module as well. What for? It will allow you to interact with the AppModule. It is handy for large apps.

Plugins, packages, and other helpful instruments

  1. @types/angular: at the stage of preparing your web project for the switch to a new platform, this package will help you to configure the use of TS- and JS-based code. Experts will also be able to use @types/angular with the allowJS compiler.
  2. ngMigration Assistant: this solution is more like a helper that assists you in choosing the best ways to migrate. Generally speaking, the task of this assistant is to analyze the data on the basis of which the instrument suggests making the AngularJS migration to Angular. Even though ngMigration does not always work flawlessly, in numerous instances, it simplifies the pain of deciding one particular upgrade path for businesses.
  3. Webpack notifier: programmers can use this plugin for webpack to build status notifications for the user. You'll always know about all the successes and failures of the app during and after the build process. Using this notifier requires the node-notifier package, so it's best to run these tools together.
  4. Node notifier: this is the package we mentioned above. This solution aims to send you native-like notifications on macOS, Linux, and Windows operating systems.
  5. @angular/platform-browser-dynamic: this AngularJS to Angular migration tool supports just-in-time (JIT) compilation. The package also provides execution of Angular-based apps in various browsers.
  6. Angulartics: the library was specially developed to provide analytics for AngularJS-based projects. We advise not to mistake this solution with Angularytics, which is also aimed at JS-based applications. However, unlike Angulartics, Angularytics tracks events and views.

Builders for Angular.js to Angular migration

  1. Angular CLI builders: with their help, programmers can set up complex development processes, run services, or build a webpack faster. Actually, builders have many beneficial features that simplify the AngularJS migration to Angular. Such an instrument is used in close connection with the API Architect.
  2. Default architect builders: they are the default constructors that specify parameters for constructors such as browser, app-shell, karma, extract-i18n, and server.

The software which will come in handy during the upgrade

  1. Gulp: it's a toolkit that can help with workflow automation when upgrading the Angular 1 framework to a newer version. If there are repetitive processes in the source code of a web app, you can use Gulp to combine them into so-called build pipelines. It is essential to know that this software is only suitable for cases where you can use autocoding without breaking the migration process sequence.
  2. Babel: this JavaScript compiler is an instrument set that allows you to convert ECMAScript code into a backward-compatible JS version. It's worth noting that Babel belongs to the AngularJS to Angular migration tool category, which interoperates with ECMAScript 2015+ (ES6).
  3. Webpack: this bundler lets coders pack modules into multiple assets. The modules can be CSS, JSON, ECMAScript 2015, images, and more. Webpack is built for JavaScript and JS-based frameworks. One of the advantages of this bundler is the option to load parts of web products by request.
  4. ESLint: this software helps coders find problems in JS source code. Such a solution analyzes the whole code of a web product and, in doing so, can automatically fix it. Since ESLint can consider syntax issues, the programming team won't have a bunch of unpleasant bugs. The software is built into many text editors to be run as part of the integration pipeline.
  5. Visual Studio Code: this AngularJS to Angular migration tool is used for source code editing. Its strengths include being wholly free and running on multiple operating systems. You can start the product for macOS, Windows, and Linux. However, VSC refers to open-source solutions; before using the instrument, you should keep this in mind.
  6. RxJS library: this tool is designed for reactive programming, simplifying callback-based and asynchronous source code compilation. Currently, version 7 of RxJS is out.

UI, CSS, and HTML instruments

  1. PostCSS: this tool helps convert CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) using JS. The goal of the AngularJS to Angular migration tool is to improve the readability of the source code. With its help, programmers can use data based on the current popularity of browsers and support for their properties. Experts won't need to apply vendor prefixes to CSS rules, as the instrument will do it all on its own.
  2. Kendo UI: it's a paid bundle with excellent and efficient UI solutions. The Kendo library has all the necessary tools to help you build a fast, responsive and modern web product interface. Besides ready-to-use components, there are also solutions for complex user interface features.
  3. Gridster2: this instrument is an implementation of angular-gridster. The latest version of Gridster requires the 13+ version of Angular. However, you can explore other branches on GitHub during migration to earlier platform versions.
  4. Jcrop: this solution will not come in handy for all migrations. But if your product has plenty of images, you can use Jcrop to crop pictures for a web project.
  5. Highcharts: The Frontend Company team suggests this library because it supports TypeScript and JavaScript. It can be used to develop various options for visualizing data in a web application. An extra plus of the tool comes from its support for mobile frameworks.
  6. UI router: is a router that coders can utilize to make a route for SPAs (Single Page Apps) on the client-side. The main upside of this router lies in its core being framework-independent. It can be used for both version 1 and 2+ of Google's framework.
  7. Hybrid UI Router: if you plan to run the ngUpgrade library, this module is the best way to do the routing. It will integrate the UI router with the ngUpgrade library to provide routing to Angular.js and Angular.

For those whom autocoding suited

  1. Template-loader: the tool comes in handy if you work with Webpack and have a perfect migration scenario. If you don't know what upgrade case you are deploying yet, you can read it here. The advantage of this solution lies in its flexible settings and the fact that experts can shorten the time it takes to load templates.
  2. AngularJS template loader: this is an alternative instrument for those who want to work with template loaders. It's perfectly compatible with Webpack, and its main task comes from connecting the HTML code to Angular 1 code. Importantly, this template loader is a port for another Angular 2 loader.
  3. TypeScript compiler: not everybody can use this AngularJS to Angular migration tool at all. But if you are among the lucky ones, you will be able to convert your code from one programming language to another. You need to enable only two functions, as described in more detail in this article
  4. AoT (ahead-of-time) compiler: this instrument is also used in the AngularJS to Angular migration process. It helps convert the TypeScript and HTML code for Angular 2+ into JS code during the app build phase. Since the tool does this even before the browser loads and runs the source code, rendering in the browser is less time-consuming.

Useful tools for bootstrap

  1. UpgradeModule: a module used to provide Angular.js core services to developers and facilitate access to the bootstrap hybrid update. How does this happen? Since experts will have to run both framework versions, it will become possible to import at least one module each from Angular 1 and 2 inside ngModule using UpgradeModule. Coders will then be able to run bootstrap for a hybrid update of the application.
  2. angular.bootstrap: actually, this is not the AngularJS to Angular migration tool; it's a feature. You should better utilize it at the preparatory stage of the platform update. If you fail to do it in time, you may encounter severe difficulties in the migration process.
  3. ng-bootstrap: these widgets were developed for Angular and had no dependencies with JS-based solutions. The widgets were built from scratch and supported browsers maintained by the Angular ecosystem and Bootstrap 4.
  4. DoBootstrap: using this concept, coders can manually configure the bootstrap of a web product in the @NgModule annotation. You must specify the current app as a parameter for it.

From such an impressive list, you are sure to find the AngularJS to Angular migration tool that will prove invaluable in your work. Don't you have time to test these instruments yourself, or don't you have any experience in migration? Then ask our team for help.

We have 100+ successfully completed projects within our account, including cooperation with TraceSafe, Shopify, and others. Book a call-back with us, email info@thefrontendcompany.com or chat online on the website.

author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Vasylenko

CEO at TFC, Founder of Nection & DBC

Alex Vasylenko is the founder of The Frontend Company, Nection, DBC, and several other successful startups. A dynamic tech entrepreneur, he began his career as a frontend developer at Deloitte and Scandinavia's largest banking company. In 2023, Alex was honored as one of 'Top 10 Emerging Entrepreneurs' by USA Today.

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