Angular
Web Components with Angular - The Modern Way to Build Reusable UI
Introduction
If you’ve been building web apps, you’ve likely noticed the trend toward componentization. Reusable components are a staple in frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue, but Web Components take reusability to the next level by working across all frameworks-or even without one. Angular developers can leverage the `@angular/elements` package to transform Angular components into native Web Components. This guide explores what Web Components are, why they matter, and how to build them with Angular for maximum reusability.
What are Web Components?
Web Components are a set of browser APIs that enable the creation of custom, reusable, and encapsulated HTML elements without relying on any framework. They consist of four main technologies:
- Custom Elements: Define new HTML elements.
- Shadow DOM: Encapsulate styles and DOM structure for isolation.
- HTML Templates: Define reusable markup templates.
- ES Modules: Use JavaScript modules to bundle and share code.
Web Components allow you to create elements like `<my-fancy-button>` that work in any environment-Angular, React, Vue, or vanilla JavaScript.
Why Should Angular Developers Care?
Angular already provides powerful components, but Web Components offer unique benefits:
- Framework-Agnostic Reusability: Share components with teams using React, Vue, or no framework.
- Use in Static Sites or CMS: Embed components in WordPress or other non-Angular environments.
- Design Systems: Build UI libraries that work across projects.
Web Components make your Angular components portable, enabling broader adoption without compatibility concerns.
Setting Up Angular for Web Components
Follow these steps to turn an Angular component into a Web Component:
Step 1: Create a New Angular Project (if you don't have one)
ng new angular-web-component-democd angular-web-component-demo
This sets up a new Angular project for your Web Component.
Step 2: Install @angular/elements and @webcomponents/custom-elements
npm install @angular/elements @webcomponents/custom-elements
`@angular/elements` bridges Angular with the Custom Elements API, while `@webcomponents/custom-elements` provides a polyfill for browsers with incomplete Web Component support.
Creating Your First Web Component with Angular
Step 3: Create a Simple Angular Component
Generate a new component:
ng generate component fancy-button
Edit `fancy-button.component.ts` to define the component:
import { Component, Input } from '@angular/core';@Component({selector: 'app-fancy-button',template: `<button style="padding:10px; background:#6200ea; color:white; border:none; border-radius:5px;">{{label}}</button>`,})export class FancyButtonComponent {@Input() label = 'Click Me';} Step 4: Convert it to a Web Component
Update `app.module.ts` to register the component as a Web Component:{{code}}:import { Injector } from '@angular/core';import { createCustomElement } from '@angular/elements';import { FancyButtonComponent } from './fancy-button/fancy-button.component';@NgModule({declarations: [ AppComponent, FancyButtonComponent ],imports: [ BrowserModule ],providers: [],bootstrap: [],entryComponents: [FancyButtonComponent],})export class AppModule {constructor(private injector: Injector) {}ngDoBootstrap() {const fancyButtonElement = createCustomElement(FancyButtonComponent, { injector: this.injector });customElements.define('fancy-button', fancyButtonElement);}}
This code uses `createCustomElement` to convert the Angular component into a Web Component and registers it as `<fancy-button>`.
Step 5: Build the Project
Build the project for production:
ng build --prod --output-hashing=none
This generates scripts in the `dist/` folder.
Step 6: Use it Anywhere
Include the generated scripts in any HTML file:
<script src="main.js"></script><fancy-button label="Web Component!"></fancy-button>
The `<fancy-button>` element can now be used in any web environment, regardless of the framework.
Best Practices & Notes
- Keep Components Small: Design Web Components to be focused and lightweight to minimize overhead.
- Use Standalone Components: Leverage Angular 14+ standalone components for a cleaner setup without NgModule.
- Minimize Angular Dependencies: Avoid Angular-specific services to ensure framework-agnostic compatibility.
- Optimize Bundling: Bundle carefully to reduce the size of Angular’s runtime included in the Web Component.
When Should You Use Angular for Web Components?
Web Components are ideal when:
- You need to share components across projects or frameworks.
- You’re building design systems or UI libraries.
- You want to embed Angular UI in non-Angular environments (e.g., CMS, static sites).
For internal Angular app components, standard Angular components are sufficient and simpler to maintain.
Conclusion
Web Components are a powerful, native browser feature, and Angular’s `@angular/elements` package makes it easy to create them. By turning your Angular components into Web Components, you gain framework-agnostic reusability, enabling use in React, Vue, static sites, or CMS platforms. With minimal setup, you can build portable, encapsulated UI elements that enhance modularity and scalability. Start experimenting with Web Components today to create reusable UI that works anywhere.
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Angular