Angular Migration

Master AngularJS to Angular migration, including hybrid apps, component conversion, dependency injection changes, and routing migration.

Use this skill when

• Migrating AngularJS (1.x) applications to Angular (2+)
• Running hybrid AngularJS/Angular applications
• Converting directives to components
• Modernizing dependency injection
• Migrating routing systems
• Updating to latest Angular versions
• Implementing Angular best practices

Do not use this skill when

• You are not migrating from AngularJS to Angular
• The app is already on a modern Angular version
• You need only a small UI fix without framework changes

Instructions

1. Assess the AngularJS codebase, dependencies, and migration risks.
2. Choose a migration strategy (hybrid vs rewrite) and define milestones.
3. Set up ngUpgrade and migrate modules, components, and routing.
4. Validate with tests and plan a safe cutover.

Safety

• Avoid big-bang cutovers without rollback and staging validation.
• Keep hybrid compatibility testing during incremental migration.

Migration Strategies

1. Big Bang (Complete Rewrite)

• Rewrite entire app in Angular
• Parallel development
• Switch over at once
• Best for: Small apps, green field projects

2. Incremental (Hybrid Approach)

• Run AngularJS and Angular side-by-side
• Migrate feature by feature
• ngUpgrade for interop
• Best for: Large apps, continuous delivery

3. Vertical Slice

• Migrate one feature completely
• New features in Angular, maintain old in AngularJS
• Gradually replace
• Best for: Medium apps, distinct features

Hybrid App Setup

// main.ts - Bootstrap hybrid app
import { platformBrowserDynamic } from '@angular/platform-browser-dynamic';
import { UpgradeModule } from '@angular/upgrade/static';
import { AppModule } from './app/app.module';

platformBrowserDynamic()
  .bootstrapModule(AppModule)
  .then(platformRef => {
    const upgrade = platformRef.injector.get(UpgradeModule);
    // Bootstrap AngularJS
    upgrade.bootstrap(document.body, ['myAngularJSApp'], { strictDi: true });
  });

// app.module.ts
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { UpgradeModule } from '@angular/upgrade/static';

@NgModule({
  imports: [
    BrowserModule,
    UpgradeModule
  ]
})
export class AppModule {
  constructor(private upgrade: UpgradeModule) {}

  ngDoBootstrap() {
    // Bootstrapped manually in main.ts
  }
}

Component Migration

AngularJS Controller → Angular Component

// Before: AngularJS controller
angular.module('myApp').controller('UserController', function($scope, UserService) {
  $scope.user = {};

  $scope.loadUser = function(id) {
    UserService.getUser(id).then(function(user) {
      $scope.user = user;
    });
  };

  $scope.saveUser = function() {
    UserService.saveUser($scope.user);
  };
});

// After: Angular component
import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
import { UserService } from './user.service';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-user',
  template: `
    <div>
      <h2>{{ user.name }}</h2>
      <button (click)="saveUser()">Save</button>
    </div>
  `
})
export class UserComponent implements OnInit {
  user: any = {};

  constructor(private userService: UserService) {}

  ngOnInit() {
    this.loadUser(1);
  }

  loadUser(id: number) {
    this.userService.getUser(id).subscribe(user => {
      this.user = user;
    });
  }

  saveUser() {
    this.userService.saveUser(this.user);
  }
}

AngularJS Directive → Angular Component

// Before: AngularJS directive
angular.module('myApp').directive('userCard', function() {
  return {
    restrict: 'E',
    scope: {
      user: '=',
      onDelete: '&'
    },
    template: `
      <div class="card">
        <h3>{{ user.name }}</h3>
        <button ng-click="onDelete()">Delete</button>
      </div>
    `
  };
});

// After: Angular component
import { Component, Input, Output, EventEmitter } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-user-card',
  template: `
    <div class="card">
      <h3>{{ user.name }}</h3>
      <button (click)="delete.emit()">Delete</button>
    </div>
  `
})
export class UserCardComponent {
  @Input() user: any;
  @Output() delete = new EventEmitter<void>();
}

// Usage: <app-user-card [user]="user" (delete)="handleDelete()"></app-user-card>

Service Migration

// Before: AngularJS service
angular.module('myApp').factory('UserService', function($http) {
  return {
    getUser: function(id) {
      return $http.get('/api/users/' + id);
    },
    saveUser: function(user) {
      return $http.post('/api/users', user);
    }
  };
});

// After: Angular service
import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
import { HttpClient } from '@angular/common/http';
import { Observable } from 'rxjs';

@Injectable({
  providedI