452 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
452 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
include ../_util-fns
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:marked
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Angular 2 is a framework to help us build client applications in HTML and
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either JavaScript or a language (like Dart or TypeScript) that compiles to JavaScript.
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Angular 2 for Dart is published as the `angular2` package, which
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(like many other Dart packages) is available via the Pub tool.
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With Angular, we write applications by composing HTML *templates* with Angularized markup,
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writing *component* classes to manage those templates, adding application logic in *services*,
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and handing the top root component to Angular's *bootstrapper*.
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Angular takes over, presenting our application content in a browser and responding to user interactions
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according to the instructions we provided.
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<!-- figure img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/airplane.png" alt="Us" align="left" style="width:200px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" ) -->
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:marked
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Of course there is more to it than this.
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We're cruising at high altitude in this overview.
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We're looking for landmarks. We should expect the object below to be fuzzy and obscured by occasional clouds.
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Details become more clear and precise when we land in the chapters themselves.
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<br clear="all">
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:marked
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An Angular 2 for Dart application rests on seven main building blocks:
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1. [Components](#component)
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1. [Templates](#template)
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1. [Metadata](#metadata)
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1. [Data binding](#data-binding)
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1. [Directives](#directive)
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1. [Services](#service)
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1. [Dependency injection](#dependency-injection)
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/overview.png" alt="overview" style="margin-left:-40px;" width="700")
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:marked
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Learn these seven and we're on our way.
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.l-main-section
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<a id="component"></a>
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:marked
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## Components
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/hero-component.png" alt="Component" align="left" style="width:200px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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A **component** controls a patch of screen real estate that we could call a *view*.
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A set of navigation links, a list of heroes, a hero editor ...
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they're all views controlled by components.
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We define a component's application logic — what it does to support the view — inside a class.
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The class interacts with the view through an API of properties and methods.
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<a id="component-code"></a>
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A `HeroListComponent`, for example, might have a `heroes` property that returns an array of heroes
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that it acquired from a service.
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It might have a `selectHero()` method that sets a `selectedHero` property when the user clicks to choose a hero from that list.
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The component might be a class like this:
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_list_component.dart', 'class', 'lib/hero_list_component.dart')
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:marked
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Angular creates, updates, and destroys components as the user moves through the application.
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The developer can take action at each moment in this lifecycle through optional lifecycle hooks.
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<!-- PENDING: What was that supposed to link to? -->
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.l-sub-section
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:marked
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We may wonder who is calling the component's constructor? Who provides the service parameter?
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For the moment, have faith that Angular will call the constructor and deliver an
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appropriate `HeroService` when we need it.
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.l-main-section
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<a id="template"></a>
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:marked
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## Templates
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/template.png" alt="Template" align="left" style="width:200px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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We define a component's view with its companion **template**. A template is a form of HTML
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that tells Angular how to render the component.
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A template looks like regular HTML much of the time ... and then it gets a bit strange. Here is a
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template for our `HeroListComponent`:
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_list_component.html', null, 'lib/hero_list_component.html')
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:marked
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This template features typical HTML elements like `<h2>` and `<div>`.
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But what are `*ngFor`, <code>{‌{hero.name}}</code>, `(click)`, `[hero]`, and `<hero-detail>`?
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They're examples of Angular's template syntax. <!-- TODO: link to template-syntax.html -->
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We'll grow accustomed to that syntax and may even learn to love it.
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Take a look at the last line,
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which has the `<hero-detail>` tag.
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That tag adds a custom element representing a component we haven't seen yet,
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a `HeroDetailComponent`.
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The `HeroDetailComponent` is a *different* component than the `HeroListComponent` we've seen.
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The `HeroDetailComponent` (code not shown) presents facts about a particular hero, the
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hero that the user selects from the list presented by the `HeroListComponent`.
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The `HeroDetailComponent` is a **child** of the `HeroListComponent`.
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/component-tree.png" alt="Metadata" align="left" style="width:300px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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Notice how `<hero-detail>` rests comfortably among native HTML elements.
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We can and _will_ mix our custom components with native HTML in the same layouts.
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In this manner we'll compose complex component trees to build out our richly featured application.
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<br clear="all">
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.l-main-section
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<a id="metadata"></a>
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:marked
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## Metadata
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/metadata.png" alt="Metadata" align="left" style="width:150px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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<p style="padding-top:10px">Metadata tells Angular how to process a class.</p>
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<br clear="all">
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:marked
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[Looking back at the code](#component-code) for `HeroListComponent`, we see that it's just a class.
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There is no evidence of a framework, no "Angular" in it at all.
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In fact, it really is *just a class*. It's not a component until we *tell Angular about it*.
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We tell Angular that `HeroListComponent` is a component by attaching **metadata** to the class.
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In Dart, we attach metadata by using an **annotation**.
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Here's some metadata for `HeroListComponent`:
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_list_component.dart', 'metadata', 'lib/hero_list_component.dart')
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:marked
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Here we see the `@Component` annotation, which (no surprise) identifies the class
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immediately below it as a component class.
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Annotations often have configuration parameters.
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The `@Component` annotation takes parameters to provide the
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information Angular needs to create and present the component and its view.
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Here we see a few of the possible `@Component` parameters:
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* `selector`: A CSS selector that tells Angular to create and insert an instance of this component
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where it finds a `<hero-list>` tag in *parent* HTML.
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For example, if an app's HTML contains `<hero-list></hero-list>`, then
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Angular inserts an instance of the `HeroListComponent` view between those tags.
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* `templateUrl`: The address of this component's template, which we showed [above](#the-template).
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* `directives`: An array of the components or directives that *this* template requires.
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We saw in the last line of our template that we expect Angular to insert a `HeroDetailComponent`
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in the space indicated by `<hero-detail>` tags.
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Angular will do so only if we mention the `HeroDetailComponent` in this `directives` array.
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* `providers`: An array of **dependency injection providers** for services that the component requires.
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This is one way to tell Angular that our component's constructor requires a `HeroService`
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so it can get the list of heroes to display. We'll get to dependency injection later.
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/template-metadata-component.png" alt="Metadata" align="left" style="height:200px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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At runtime, Angular discovers the metadata specified by the `@Component`
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annotation. That's how Angular learns how to do "the right thing".
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The template, metadata, and component together describe the view.
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We apply other metadata annotations in a similar fashion to guide Angular behavior.
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`@Injectable`, `@Input`, `@Output`, and `@RouterConfig` are a few of the more popular annotations
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we'll master as our Angular knowledge grows.
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<br clear="all">
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:marked
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The architectural takeaway is that we must add metadata to our code
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so that Angular knows what to do.
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.l-main-section
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<a id="data-binding"></a>
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:marked
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## Data binding
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Without a framework, we would be responsible for pushing data values into the HTML controls and turning user responses
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into actions and value updates. Writing such push/pull logic by hand is tedious, error-prone, and a nightmare to
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read as any experienced jQuery programmer can attest.
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/databinding.png" alt="Data Binding" style="width:220px; float:left; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:20px" )
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:marked
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Angular supports **data binding**,
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a mechanism for coordinating parts of a template with parts of a component.
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We add binding markup to the template HTML to tell Angular how to connect both sides.
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There are four forms of data binding syntax. Each form has a direction — to the DOM, from the DOM, or in both directions —
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as indicated by the arrows in the diagram.
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<br clear="all">
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:marked
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We saw three forms of data binding in our [example](#template) template:
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_list_component_1.html', 'binding')(format=".")
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:marked
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* The <code>{‌{hero.name}}</code> [interpolation](displaying-data.html#interpolation)
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displays the component's `hero.name` property value within the `<div>` tags.
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* The `[hero]` property binding <!-- TODO: link to template-syntax.html#property-binding-->
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passes the value of `selectedHero` from
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the parent `HeroListComponent` to the `hero` property of the child `HeroDetailComponent`.
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* The `(click)` [event binding](user-input.html#click) calls the component's `selectHero` method when the user clicks a hero's name.
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**Two-way data binding** is an important fourth form
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that combines property and event binding in a single notation, using the `ngModel` directive.
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We didn't have a two-way binding in the `HeroListComponent` template;
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here's an example from the `HeroDetailComponent` template:
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_detail_component.html', 'ng-model', 'lib/hero_detail_component.html (excerpt)')(format=".")
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:marked
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In two-way binding, a data property value flows to the input box from the component as with property binding.
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The user's changes also flow back to the component, resetting the property to the latest value,
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as with event binding.
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Angular processes *all* data bindings once per JavaScript event cycle,
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depth-first from the root of the application component tree.
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<!-- PENDING: clarify what "depth-first from the root" really means,
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or reassure that they'll learn it soon. -->
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/component-databinding.png" alt="Data Binding" style="float:left; width:300px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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We don't know all the details yet,
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but it's clear from these examples that data binding plays an important role in communication
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between a template and its component.
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<br clear="all">
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/parent-child-binding.png" alt="Parent/Child binding" style="float:left; width:300px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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Data binding is also important for communication between parent and child components.
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<br clear="all">
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.l-main-section
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<a id="directive"></a>
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:marked
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## Directives
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/directive.png" alt="Parent child" style="float:left; width:150px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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Angular templates are *dynamic*. When Angular renders them, it transforms the DOM
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according to the instructions given by **directives**.
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A directive is a class with directive metadata. In Dart we apply the `@Directive` annotation
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to attach metadata to the class.
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<br clear="all">
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:marked
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We already met one form of directive: the component. A component is a *directive-with-a-template*;
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a `@Component` annotation is actually a `@Directive` annotation extended with template-oriented features.
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.l-sub-section
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:marked
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While **a component is technically a directive**,
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components are so distinctive and central to Angular applications that we chose
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to separate components from directives in this architectural overview.
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:marked
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Two *other* kinds of directives exist: _structural_ and _attribute_ directives.
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They tend to appear within an element tag like attributes,
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sometimes by name but more often as the target of an assignment or a binding.
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**Structural** directives alter layout by adding, removing, and replacing elements in DOM.
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Our [example](#template) template uses two built-in structural directives:
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_list_component_1.html', 'structural')(format=".")
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:marked
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* [`*ngFor`](displaying-data.html#ng-for) tells Angular to stamp out one `<div>` per hero in the `heroes` list.
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* [`*ngIf`](displaying-data.html#ng-if) includes the `HeroDetail` component only if a selected hero exists.
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.l-sub-section
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:marked
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In Dart, **the only value that is true is the boolean value `true`**; all
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other values are false. JavaScript and TypeScript, in contrast, treat values
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such as 1 and most non-null objects as true. For this reason, the JavaScript
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and TypeScript versions of this app can use just `selectedHero` as the value
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of the `*ngIf` expression. The Dart version must use a boolean operator such
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as `!=` instead.
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:marked
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**Attribute** directives alter the appearance or behavior of an existing element.
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In templates they look like regular HTML attributes, hence the name.
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The `ngModel` directive, which implements two-way data binding, is
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an example of an attribute directive. `ngModel` modifies the behavior of
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an existing element (typically an `<input>`)
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by setting its display value property and responding to change events.
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_detail_component.html', 'ng-model')(format=".")
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:marked
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Angular ships with a small number of other directives that either alter the layout structure
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(for example, `ngSwitch`) <!-- TODO: link to template-syntax.html#ng-switch -->
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or modify aspects of DOM elements and components
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(for example, `ngStyle` and `ngClass`).
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<!-- PENDING: link to template-syntax.html#ng-style template-syntax.html#ng-class-->
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Of course, we can also write our own directives. Components such as
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`HeroListComponent` are one kind of custom directive.
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<!-- PENDING: link to where to learn more about other kinds! -->
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.l-main-section
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<a id="service"></a>
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:marked
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## Services
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/service.png" alt="Service" style="float:left; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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_Services_ is a broad category encompassing any value, function, or feature that our application needs.
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Almost anything can be a service.
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A service is typically a class with a narrow, well-defined purpose. It should do something specific and do it well.
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<br clear="all">
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:marked
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Examples include:
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* logging service
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* data service
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* message bus
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* tax calculator
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* application configuration
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There is nothing specifically _Angular_ about services. Angular itself has no definition of a service.
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There is no service base class, and no place to register a service.
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Yet services are fundamental to any Angular application. Our components are big consumers of services.
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We prefer our component classes lean. Our components don't fetch data from the server,
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they don't validate user input, and they don't log directly to console. They delegate such tasks to services.
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A component's job is to enable the user experience and nothing more. It mediates between the view (rendered by the template)
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and the application logic (which often includes some notion of a _model_).
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A good component presents properties and methods for data binding.
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It delegates everything nontrivial to services.
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Angular doesn't *enforce* these principles.
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It won't complain if we write a "kitchen sink" component with 3000 lines.
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Angular does help us *follow* these principles by making it easy to factor our
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application logic into services and make those services available to components through *dependency injection*.
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.l-main-section
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<a id="dependency-injection"></a>
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:marked
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## Dependency injection
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/dependency-injection.png" alt="Service" style="float:left; width:200px; margin-left:-40px;margin-right:10px" )
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:marked
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Dependency injection is a way to supply a new instance of a class
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with the fully-formed dependencies it requires. Most dependencies are services.
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Angular uses dependency injection to provide new components with the services they need.
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<br clear="all">
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:marked
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Angular can tell which services a component needs by looking at the types of its constructor parameters.
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For example, the constructor of our `HeroListComponent` needs a `HeroService`:
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_list_component.dart', 'ctor', 'lib/hero_list_component.dart (excerpt)')(format='.')
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:marked
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When Angular creates a component, it first asks an **injector** for
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the services that the component requires.
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An injector maintains a container of service instances that it has previously created.
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If a requested service instance is not in the container, the injector makes one and adds it to the container
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before returning the service to Angular.
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When all requested services have been resolved and returned,
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Angular can call the component's constructor with those services as arguments.
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This is what we mean by *dependency injection*.
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The process of `HeroService` injection looks a bit like this:
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figure
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img(src="/resources/images/devguide/architecture/injector-injects.png" alt="Service" )
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:marked
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If the injector doesn't have a `HeroService`, how does it know how to make one?
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In brief, we must have previously registered a **provider** of the `HeroService` with the injector.
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A provider is something that can create or return a service, typically the service class itself.
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We can register providers at any level of the application component tree.
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We often do so at the root when we bootstrap the application so that
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the same instance of a service is available everywhere.
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/web/main.dart', 'bootstrap', 'web/main.dart (excerpt)')(format='.')
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:marked
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Alternatively, we might register at a component level:
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+makeExample('architecture/dart/lib/hero_list_component.dart', 'providers', 'lib/hero_list_component.dart (excerpt)')(format='.')
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:marked
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Registering at a component level means we get a new instance of the
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service with each new instance of that component.
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<!-- We've vastly oversimplified dependency injection for this overview.
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The full story is in the [Dependency Injection](dependency-injection.html) chapter. -->
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Points to remember about dependency injection:
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* Dependency injection is wired into the Angular framework and used everywhere.
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* The *injector* is the main mechanism.
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* An injector maintains a *container* of service instances that it created.
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* An injector can create a new service instance from a *provider*.
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* A *provider* is a recipe for creating a service.
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* We register *providers* with injectors.
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<a id="other-stuff"></a>
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.l-main-section
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:marked
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## Other stuff
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We've learned just a bit about the seven main building blocks of an Angular application:
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1. [Components](#component)
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1. [Templates](#template)
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1. [Metadata](#metadata)
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1. [Data binding](#data-binding)
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1. [Directives](#directive)
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1. [Services](#service)
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1. [Dependency injection](#dependency-injection)
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That's a foundation for everything else in an Angular application,
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and it's more than enough to get going.
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But it doesn't include everything we'll need or want to know.
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Here is a brief, alphabetical list of other important Angular features and services.
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Most of them are covered in this Developers Guide (or soon will be).
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>**Animations:** A forthcoming animation library makes it easy for developers to animate component behavior
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without deep knowledge of animation techniques or CSS.
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>**Bootstrap:** A method to configure and launch the root application component.
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>**Change detection:** Learn how Angular decides that a component property value has changed and
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when to update the screen.
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Learn how it uses **zones** to intercept asynchronous activity and run its change detection strategies.
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>**Component router:** With the component Router service, users can navigate a multi-screen application
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in a familiar web browsing style using URLs.
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>**Events:** The DOM raises events. So can components and services. Angular offers mechanisms for
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publishing and subscribing to events including an implementation of the [RxJS Observable](https://github.com/zenparsing/es-observable) proposal.
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>**[Forms](forms.html):** Support complex data entry scenarios with HTML-based validation and dirty checking.
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>**HTTP:** Communicate with a server to get data, save data, and invoke server-side actions with this Angular HTTP client.
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>**Lifecycle hooks:** We can tap into key moments in the lifetime of a component, from its creation to its destruction,
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by implementing the lifecycle hook interfaces.
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>**Pipes:** Services that transform values for display.
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We can put pipes in our templates to improve the user experience. Consider
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this `currency` pipe expression:
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<div style="margin-left:40px">
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code-example(language="javascript" linenumbers=".").
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price | currency:'USD':true'
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</div>
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:marked
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>It displays a price of "42.33" as `$42.33`.
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>**Testing:** Angular provides a
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[testing library](https://pub.dartlang.org/packages/angular2_testing)
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to run unit tests on our application parts as they interact with the Angular framework.
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