Angular Third-party Libraries

Introduction

Angular provides robust core functionality, but real-world applications often require additional capabilities beyond what's included in the framework. This is where third-party libraries become invaluable. They allow you to extend Angular's functionality without having to build everything from scratch, saving you time and effort while providing battle-tested solutions.

In this guide, you'll learn:

What Angular third-party libraries are and why they're useful
How to find and evaluate libraries for your project
How to install and integrate libraries into your Angular application
Common libraries that solve specific problems
Best practices when working with external dependencies

What Are Angular Third-party Libraries?

Angular third-party libraries are pre-built packages of code created by developers outside the core Angular team. These libraries provide specific functionality that can be integrated into your Angular applications to solve common problems or add features without requiring you to write all the code yourself.

Why Use Third-party Libraries?

Save development time by using existing, tested solutions
Add complex features without having to build them from scratch
Benefit from community knowledge and best practices
Focus on your application's core business logic rather than common utilities
Maintain consistency across your application with established patterns

Finding and Evaluating Libraries

Before adding any library to your project, it's important to evaluate it properly:

Where to Find Libraries

NPM Registry - npmjs.com is the primary source for JavaScript libraries
GitHub - Browse repositories, stars, and community activity
Angular Resources - The official Angular website lists some popular libraries
Community Resources - Blogs, forums like Stack Overflow, and Reddit

Evaluation Criteria

When choosing a library, consider:

Active maintenance - Check when the last commit was made
Community adoption - Number of stars, downloads, and contributors
Documentation quality - Clear examples and API documentation
Angular version compatibility - Ensure it's compatible with your Angular version
Bundle size - How much will it increase your application size
License - Make sure the license is appropriate for your project

Installing and Using Third-party Libraries

Let's walk through the process of integrating a library into your Angular project:

Basic Steps

Install the library using npm or yarn
Import the library module in your application
Configure the library if necessary
Use the library's components, services, or other features in your app

Example: Adding ngx-bootstrap

Let's use ngx-bootstrap as an example, which provides Bootstrap components built as native Angular components:

Step 1: Install the library

bash
npm install ngx-bootstrap bootstrap --save

Step 2: Add Bootstrap CSS to your project

Add the Bootstrap CSS to your angular.json file:

json
"styles": [
  "node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css",
  "src/styles.css"
]

Step 3: Import the modules you need

Let's say we want to use the Carousel component. In your app.module.ts:

typescript
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { CarouselModule } from 'ngx-bootstrap/carousel';
import { AppComponent } from './app.component';

@NgModule({
  declarations: [
    AppComponent
  ],
  imports: [
    BrowserModule,
    CarouselModule.forRoot()
  ],
  providers: [],
  bootstrap: [AppComponent]
})
export class AppModule { }

Step 4: Use the component in your template

In your component's HTML:

html
<carousel>
  <slide>
    <img src="assets/images/slide-1.jpg" alt="First slide">
    <div class="carousel-caption">
      <h3>First slide label</h3>
      <p>First slide description.</p>
    </div>
  </slide>
  <slide>
    <img src="assets/images/slide-2.jpg" alt="Second slide">
    <div class="carousel-caption">
      <h3>Second slide label</h3>
      <p>Second slide description.</p>
    </div>
  </slide>
</carousel>

Output:

When rendered, this code would display a functional Bootstrap carousel with navigation controls and two slides that automatically transition between each other.

Popular Angular Third-party Libraries

Here are some popular and useful libraries categorized by functionality:

UI Component Libraries

Angular Material - Official UI component library by the Angular team
bash
```
ng add @angular/material
```
PrimeNG - Rich set of UI components with multiple themes
bash
```
npm install primeng primeicons
```
NGX-Bootstrap - Bootstrap components built for Angular
bash
```
npm install ngx-bootstrap bootstrap
```

State Management

NgRx - Redux-inspired state management

bash
npm install @ngrx/store @ngrx/effects @ngrx/entity @ngrx/store-devtools

NGXS - Simpler state management alternative to NgRx
bash
```
npm install @ngxs/store
```

Data Visualization

NGX-Charts - Declarative charting framework for Angular
bash
```
npm install @swimlane/ngx-charts
```
Chart.js with ng2-charts - Angular directives for Chart.js
bash
```
npm install chart.js ng2-charts
```

Forms and Validation

NGX-Formly - Dynamic form creation library

bash
npm install @ngx-formly/core @ngx-formly/bootstrap

Real-world Example: Building a Dashboard with Third-party Libraries

Let's create a simple dashboard by integrating multiple libraries:

1. Set up the Angular project

bash
ng new angular-dashboard
cd angular-dashboard

2. Install required libraries

bash
npm install @angular/material @angular/cdk @swimlane/ngx-charts ng2-charts chart.js date-fns

3. Add Angular Material to your project

typescript
// app.module.ts
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { BrowserAnimationsModule } from '@angular/platform-browser/animations';
import { MatCardModule } from '@angular/material/card';
import { MatButtonModule } from '@angular/material/button';
import { MatToolbarModule } from '@angular/material/toolbar';
import { NgxChartsModule } from '@swimlane/ngx-charts';
import { ChartsModule } from 'ng2-charts';

import { AppComponent } from './app.component';
import { DashboardComponent } from './dashboard/dashboard.component';

@NgModule({
  declarations: [
    AppComponent,
    DashboardComponent
  ],
  imports: [
    BrowserModule,
    BrowserAnimationsModule,
    MatCardModule,
    MatButtonModule,
    MatToolbarModule,
    NgxChartsModule,
    ChartsModule
  ],
  providers: [],
  bootstrap: [AppComponent]
})
export class AppModule { }

4. Create a dashboard component with charts

typescript
// dashboard.component.ts
import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-dashboard',
  templateUrl: './dashboard.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./dashboard.component.css']
})
export class DashboardComponent implements OnInit {
  // Data for NGX Charts
  barChartData = [
    {
      name: 'Germany',
      value: 8940000
    },
    {
      name: 'USA',
      value: 5000000
    },
    {
      name: 'France',
      value: 7200000
    }
  ];

  // Data for Chart.js
  lineChartData = {
    labels: ['January', 'February', 'March', 'April', 'May', 'June'],
    datasets: [
      {
        data: [65, 59, 80, 81, 56, 55],
        label: 'Series A',
        backgroundColor: 'rgba(148,159,177,0.2)',
        borderColor: 'rgba(148,159,177,1)',
        pointBackgroundColor: 'rgba(148,159,177,1)',
        pointBorderColor: '#fff',
        pointHoverBackgroundColor: '#fff',
        pointHoverBorderColor: 'rgba(148,159,177,0.8)'
      }
    ]
  };
  
  constructor() { }

  ngOnInit(): void { }
}

html
<!-- dashboard.component.html -->
<div class="dashboard-container">
  <mat-toolbar color="primary">
    <span>Dashboard Example with Third-party Libraries</span>
  </mat-toolbar>

  <div class="charts-container">
    <mat-card>
      <mat-card-header>
        <mat-card-title>Population Statistics (NGX-Charts)</mat-card-title>
      </mat-card-header>
      <mat-card-content>
        <ngx-charts-bar-vertical
          [results]="barChartData"
          [gradient]="true"
          [xAxis]="true"
          [yAxis]="true"
          [legend]="true"
          [showXAxisLabel]="true"
          [showYAxisLabel]="true"
          xAxisLabel="Country"
          yAxisLabel="Population">
        </ngx-charts-bar-vertical>
      </mat-card-content>
    </mat-card>

    <mat-card>
      <mat-card-header>
        <mat-card-title>Monthly Data (Chart.js)</mat-card-title>
      </mat-card-header>
      <mat-card-content>
        <canvas baseChart
          [datasets]="lineChartData.datasets"
          [labels]="lineChartData.labels"
          chartType="line">
        </canvas>
      </mat-card-content>
    </mat-card>
  </div>
</div>

css
/* dashboard.component.css */
.dashboard-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  height: 100vh;
}

.charts-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  padding: 20px;
  gap: 20px;
}

mat-card {
  flex: 1 1 45%;
  min-width: 300px;
  max-width: 800px;
  height: 400px;
}

mat-card-content {
  height: 350px;
}

This example demonstrates how you can combine multiple third-party libraries to create a feature-rich dashboard application with minimal effort. The dashboard includes:

Material UI components for the layout and cards
NGX-Charts for a bar chart visualization
Chart.js with ng2-charts for a line chart

Best Practices When Using Third-party Libraries

Don't overuse libraries - Only add what you need to avoid bloating your application
Create abstraction layers - Wrap third-party code in your own services to make potential replacements easier
Stay updated - Regularly update your libraries to get bug fixes and security patches
Check licensing - Ensure you comply with the licenses of the libraries you use
Test thoroughly - Verify that the library behaves as expected in your application
Consider tree-shaking capabilities - Choose libraries that support tree-shaking for better bundle size optimization
Use Angular-specific versions when available - They'll integrate more smoothly with the Angular ecosystem

Handling Version Compatibility

Angular's frequent updates can sometimes lead to compatibility issues with third-party libraries. Here's how to handle them:

Check the library's documentation for Angular version compatibility
Use ng update to update your dependencies safely
Look at GitHub issues for known problems with specific versions
Consider using npm-check-updates to manage dependency updates

bash
# Install npm-check-updates
npm install -g npm-check-updates

# Check for safe updates
ncu

# Update dependencies
ncu -u

Summary

Angular third-party libraries extend the capabilities of your applications by providing ready-made solutions for common problems. By understanding how to find, evaluate, and integrate these libraries, you can significantly speed up development and improve the quality of your applications.

We've covered:

Understanding what third-party libraries are and their benefits
Finding and evaluating libraries for your project
Installing and integrating libraries into your Angular application
Popular libraries for different purposes
A real-world example combining multiple libraries
Best practices when working with external dependencies

By carefully selecting and integrating third-party libraries, you can focus more on your application's unique features and business logic rather than reinventing commonly needed functionality.

Additional Resources

Angular Documentation on npm packages
Awesome Angular - A curated list of Angular resources
npm trends - Compare package download statistics to help evaluate libraries
Bundlephobia - Find the cost of adding a npm package to your bundle

Exercises

Add Angular Material to an existing project and implement a navigation sidebar.
Compare two different charting libraries by implementing the same chart with both.
Create a service that abstracts away a third-party library, making it replaceable if needed.
Research and implement a state management solution for a simple to-do list application.
Find a third-party library for form validation and implement a complex form using it.

If you spot any mistakes on this website, please let me know at feedback@compilenrun.com. I’d greatly appreciate your feedback! :)

Introduction​

What Are Angular Third-party Libraries?​

Why Use Third-party Libraries?​

Finding and Evaluating Libraries​

Where to Find Libraries​

Evaluation Criteria​

Installing and Using Third-party Libraries​

Basic Steps​

Example: Adding ngx-bootstrap​

Step 1: Install the library​

Step 2: Add Bootstrap CSS to your project​

Step 3: Import the modules you need​

Step 4: Use the component in your template​

Output:​

Popular Angular Third-party Libraries​

UI Component Libraries​

State Management​

Data Visualization​

Forms and Validation​

Real-world Example: Building a Dashboard with Third-party Libraries​

1. Set up the Angular project​

2. Install required libraries​

3. Add Angular Material to your project​

4. Create a dashboard component with charts​

Best Practices When Using Third-party Libraries​

Handling Version Compatibility​

Summary​

Additional Resources​

Exercises​