Integrating 2 Angular Apps: A Step-by-Step Guide to Unify Your Application Ecosystem
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Integrating 2 Angular Apps: A Step-by-Step Guide to Unify Your Application Ecosystem

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Are you struggling to integrate two or more Angular apps into a single, seamless experience? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you through the process of combining multiple Angular applications, sharing data, and creating a unified user experience.

Why Integrate Multiple Angular Apps?

Before we dive into the how, let’s talk about the why. Integrating multiple Angular apps can bring numerous benefits to your development workflow and end-users. Some of the advantages include:

  • Unified User Experience**: Provide a seamless experience across multiple apps, reducing confusion and increasing user engagement.
  • Shared Resources**: Reuse code, components, and services across apps, reducing maintenance and development costs.
  • Faster Development**: Leverage existing codebases and focus on building new features rather than rebuilding from scratch.
  • Improved Collaboration**: Enable teams to work on different apps independently, while still sharing knowledge and expertise.

Preparing for Integration

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

  1. Angular CLI**: Ensure you have the Angular CLI installed globally (version 8 or later) and that both apps are created using the CLI.
  2. Separate Projects**: Each app should be a separate Angular project, with its own `angular.json` file and a unique `app` directory.
  3. Shared Module**: Create a shared module that contains components, services, and other resources to be shared between apps.

Step 1: Create a Shared Module

Create a new folder for your shared module and add the following files:

shared/
|- shared.module.ts
|- components/
    |- component1.component.ts
    |- component2.component.ts
|- services/
    |- service1.service.ts
    |- service2.service.ts
|- ...

In `shared.module.ts`, import and declare the components and services you want to share:


import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { Component1 } from './components/component1.component';
import { Component2 } from './components/component2.component';
import { Service1 } from './services/service1.service';
import { Service2 } from './services/service2.service';

@NgModule({
declarations: [Component1, Component2],
exports: [Component1, Component2],
providers: [Service1, Service2]
})
export class SharedModule { }

Step 2: Configure Angular Routing

In each app, create a separate routing module to define routes for that app:

app1/
|- app-routing.module.ts
|- app.component.ts
|- ...

app2/
|- app-routing.module.ts
|- app.component.ts
|- ...

In `app-routing.module.ts`, import the shared module and define routes for that app:


import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { SharedModule } from '../shared/shared.module';
import { App1Component } from './app1.component';
import { App2Component } from './app2.component';

const routes: Routes = [
{
path: '',
component: App1Component
},
{
path: 'app2',
loadChildren: () => import('./app2/app2.module').then(m => m.App2Module)
}
];

@NgModule({
imports: [SharedModule, RouterModule.forRoot(routes)],
exports: [RouterModule]
})
export class AppRoutingModule { }

Step 3: Share Data Between Apps

To share data between apps, create a service that will act as a bridge between the two:

shared/
|- services/
    |- data.service.ts

In `data.service.ts`, define a service that will hold and manage shared data:


import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
import { Subject, BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs';

@Injectable({
providedIn: 'root'
})
export class DataService {
private dataSubject = new BehaviorSubject({});

constructor() { }

setData(data: any) {
this.dataSubject.next(data);
}

getData(): Observable {
return this.dataSubject.asObservable();
}
}

In each app, inject the `DataService` and use it to share data:


import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
import { DataService } from '../shared/services/data.service';

@Component({
selector: 'app-app1',
template: '

App 1

'
})
export class App1Component implements OnInit {
constructor(private dataService: DataService) { }

ngOnInit(): void {
this.dataService.setData({ message: 'Hello from App 1!' });
}
}

Step 4: Integrate Apps Using a Single-Spa Architecture

To integrate the apps, we’ll use a single-spa architecture, where each app is a separate module that can be loaded and unloaded dynamically:

|- apps/
    |- app1/
        |- app1.module.ts
        |- app1.component.ts
        |- ...
    |- app2/
        |- app2.module.ts
        |- app2.component.ts
        |- ...
|- main/
    |- main.module.ts
    |- main.component.ts
    |- ...

In `main.module.ts`, import and declare the apps as modules:


import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { SharedModule } from '../shared/shared.module';
import { App1Module } from '../apps/app1/app1.module';
import { App2Module } from '../apps/app2/app2.module';

@NgModule({
declarations: [MainComponent],
imports: [SharedModule, App1Module, App2Module],
providers: []
})
export class MainModule { }

In `main.component.ts`, use the `router-outlet` directive to render the apps:


import { Component } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
selector: 'app-main',
template: `

`
})
export class MainComponent { }

Conclusion

That’s it! You’ve successfully integrated two Angular apps using a shared module, routing, and a single-spa architecture. This approach enables you to reuse code, share data, and create a unified user experience across multiple apps.

Benefits Integration Steps
Unified User Experience Configure Angular Routing, Share Data Between Apps
Shared Resources Create a Shared Module, Integrate Apps Using Single-Spa Architecture
Faster Development Reuse Code, Focus on Building New Features
Improved Collaboration Enable Teams to Work on Different Apps Independently

By following these steps, you’ll be able to integrate multiple Angular apps, creating a more efficient, scalable, and maintainable application ecosystem.

Here are 5 questions and answers about integrating 2 Angular apps:

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common questions about integrating two Angular apps!

Can I integrate two Angular apps into a single application?

Yes, you can! You can use various techniques such as micro-frontends, lazy loading, or even a shell app to integrate two Angular apps into a single application.

What are the benefits of integrating two Angular apps?

Integrating two Angular apps can bring numerous benefits, including a unified user experience, shared resources, and easier maintenance. It can also enable you to reuse code and reduce duplication.

How do I handle routing and navigation between the two Angular apps?

You can handle routing and navigation by using the Angular Router module and configuring routes for each app. You can also use route resolvers and route guards to control access and loading of the apps.

What are some common challenges when integrating two Angular apps?

Some common challenges when integrating two Angular apps include managing dependencies, handling conflicts, and dealing with different versions of Angular. You may also encounter issues with styling, theming, and layout.

Are there any performance considerations when integrating two Angular apps?

Yes, there are performance considerations when integrating two Angular apps. You should consider the impact on page load times, memory usage, and overall application performance. You can use techniques such as code splitting, lazy loading, and optimization to minimize performance issues.

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