With the release of Angular 15, the developers of the Google-created, TypeScript-based web framework are looking to enhance server-side rendering and runtime speed for an Angular 16 release.
Angular 16, scheduled for release in May 2023, will investigate hydration and server-side rendering usability enhancements, including non-destructive hydration as a first step. Instead of re-rendering the server-side DOM, this solution would merely connect event listeners and generate data structures required by the Angular runtime.
Plans call for further research of the dynamically developing space of partial hydration and resumability as a following step. Each option includes drawbacks, and Angular’s developers want to make an educated conclusion on the best long-term solution.
Improvements to hydration and server-side rendering usability were noted in an Angular roadmap that was last updated on November 5. Although the enhancements are not tied with a specific Angular version on the roadmap, a Google official last week mentioned them when questioned about Angular 16 intentions.
Google also mentioned the following features for Angular 16:
- To enhance runtime efficiency, revisiting Angular’s reactivity paradigm and making Zone.js optional. Angular by default runs change detection worldwide; alternatives for running change detection just in impacted components are being investigated. This simplifies the framework, improves debugging, and minimises the size of the application package.
- Debugging APIs for dependency injection are now available.
- Improving standalone component documentation and schematics. For apps that are bootstrapped with a standalone component, a new collection is being built.
- Investigating ideas for improving the JavaScript bundles generated by the Angular CLI.
- Refactoring documentation to ensure that all documentation fits into a standard set of content categories.
Other projects in the works but not mentioned by Google as planned for Angular 16 include:
- Streamlining standalone imports using the language service, including automated template dependency import for standalone components. The language service will suggest automated elimination of unwanted imports to enable smaller application bundles.
- New CDK (Component Dev Kit) primitives for Combobox based on the WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative Accessible Rich Internet Applications) design principles.
Token-based theming APIs and enabling Material 3 features are in the plan, although not necessarily in progress, as are modernising unit testing, revamping performance dashboards to identify regressions, and improving build efficiency with ngc as a tsc plugin distribution. Ergonomic component-level code-splitting APIs were also mentioned, as well as assuring easy adoption of future RxJS modifications.
