14 Tips for Developing Angular Applications

Initially developed by Google, Angular has become one of the leading frameworks for web application development. Its popularity is due to the extensive capabilities it offers. However, Angular is complex, and taking full advantage of its features depends on how well the developer understands the tool. Below, you’ll find tips for building secure, professional Angular applications emphasizing best practices that enhance functionality and security.

1. Embrace TypeScript

Angular’s foundation in TypeScript offers several benefits, especially for security. TypeScript’s strict typing reduces errors and prevents specific vulnerabilities, allowing developers to catch potential issues early in development. To fully leverage TypeScript in Angular:

• Enable strict type checking in your tsconfig.json file to reduce runtime errors.
• Use interfaces and types to clearly define components, services, and functions, making your code safer and more predictable.
• Implement generics to create reusable and type-safe code, reducing the risk of logic errors.

2. Follow the Angular Style Guide

The Angular style guide provides standards designed to streamline development and improve security. Created by experts, the guide offers best practices for a consistent, secure codebase, simplifying collaboration and integration with third-party libraries. Key tips include:

• Use Angular CLI to generate components, services, and modules.
• Follow recommended naming conventions to create clear, maintainable code.
• Organize your project structure logically, grouping related modules to ensure proper access control.

3. Optimize Change Detection

Angular’s change detection keeps the front end in sync with data updates, but can impact performance if not optimized. Efficient change detection also reduces the chance of unintentional data exposure by controlling how often data is updated and accessed. To optimize change detection:

• Use the OnPush change detection strategy for components that don’t frequently update.
• Apply ChangeDetectorRef to trigger updates in specific cases manually.
• Avoid deep object comparisons in templates unless necessary, as these can slow down performance and increase risk.

4. Use Lazy Loading

Lazy loading helps improve the user experience by initially loading only essential modules while delaying others until needed. This approach enhances speed and reduces the initial attack surface by limiting access to non-essential modules at startup.

• Break your code into feature modules and load them lazily as users navigate.
• Preload strategically to ensure critical modules are available quickly, balancing speed and security.

5. Use Reactive Programming with RxJS

Reactive extensions for JavaScript (RxJS) simplify handling asynchronous data and events. RxJS observables allow Angular apps to manage complex data flows securely by monitoring and reacting to changes.

• Leverage observables for asynchronous operations, ensuring secure data handling.
• Use the async pipe in templates to automatically manage subscriptions, preventing memory leaks and improving performance.

6. Implement Proper Error Handling

Effective error handling is essential for both security and user experience. Angular provides several tools for managing errors, allowing developers to detect and address issues quickly without exposing sensitive information.

• Use try-catch blocks for synchronous code to handle potential errors.
• For observables, apply the catchError operator to manage errors gracefully.
• Implement a global error-handling service to standardize responses to errors and prevent data leakage.

7. Use Effective State Management Techniques

As applications become more complex, state management becomes vital to maintaining data consistency and security. State management libraries like NgRx make tracking data securely across different components easier.

• Use NgRx or another state management library to keep data flows clear and secure.
• Apply the OnPush change detection strategy to keep the application responsive and prevent unnecessary state changes.

8. Test Regularly

Testing is a core practice in secure development. Automated security testing helps identify vulnerabilities early and ensures your application meets functional and security requirements.

• Use TestBed for comprehensive component and service testing.
• Implement unit tests for isolated logic to catch errors and vulnerabilities in the code.
• Run end-to-end tests for critical user flows to preserve security across the app. Tools like Kiuwan’s SAST can further support testing by identifying potential security vulnerabilities before deployment.

9. Optimize Performance

Optimizing performance is crucial for user experience and security. Performance issues can expose vulnerabilities related to resource exhaustion or delayed data handling.

• Use Angular’s built-in performance profiler to detect and address bottlenecks.
• Implement virtual scrolling for long lists to improve performance and reduce memory use.
• Offload CPU-intensive tasks to Web Workers to prevent freezing and optimize resource management.

10. Keep Dependencies Updated

Angular applications often depend on numerous third-party libraries. If not regularly updated, these dependencies can introduce vulnerabilities. Tools like Kiuwan’s SCA can help monitor open-source components for security issues, ensuring your application remains secure.

• Regularly update Angular and its dependencies using ng update.
• Monitor dependency updates for security patches and new features that enhance safety.
• Avoid deprecated packages to minimize exposure to known vulnerabilities.

11. Use Angular CLI

Angular CLI simplifies project management, and its extensive capabilities should not be overlooked. Angular CLI contributes to a secure, maintainable application by standardizing code structure and enforcing best practices.

• Use Angular CLI to generate components, services, and other artifacts.
• Run ng lint for static code analysis to catch security and code quality issues.
• Build production-ready applications with ng build --prod for optimized, secure code.

12. Prioritize Security with DevSecOps Practices

Security should be built into every phase of development. SCA can scan projects built with open-source tools to identify and manage vulnerabilities. Consider security from the start with these measures:

• Use Angular’s built-in sanitization features to protect against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
• Implement proper Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection to safeguard data.
• Always use HTTPS in production environments to secure data in transit.

13. Document Your Code

Well-documented code ensures that future developers understand the purpose and function of each component, reducing the risk of accidental vulnerabilities due to misinterpretation.

• Use JSDoc comments to describe functions and classes, with special notes on security-relevant components.
• Include a README file for project setup and contribution guidelines to keep the documentation current.
• Leverage tools like Compodoc to automatically generate project documentation.

14. Implement Proper Logging

Logging is crucial for tracking application behavior and identifying security incidents. Use a centralized logging service to maintain secure logs without exposing sensitive information.

• Create a logging service that can be configured for different environments, including production.
• Use appropriate log levels (e.g., debug, info, warn, error) to capture relevant information without overwhelming logs.
• Avoid logging sensitive data directly to prevent unintended exposure.

Build Secure Angular Applications with Kiuwan

Building secure Angular applications requires a proactive approach to development and security practices. By incorporating these best practices and using tools like Kiuwan’s SAST and SCA, developers can identify vulnerabilities early, manage dependencies securely, and maintain a robust security posture throughout the software lifecycle. Request a free demo to see how Kiuwan can help secure your Angular applications from development to deployment.