Angular's next feature @let syntax
Nhan Nguyen
Posted on May 31, 2024
We can check the pull request here: https://github.com/angular/angular/pull/55848
Let's discuss the various use cases and advantages of the new @let syntax.
The @let syntax allows us to declare and use local variables within our Angular templates.
@let user = user$ | async;
@let greeting = user ? 'Hello, ' + user.name : 'Loading...';
<h1>{{ greeting }}</h1>
In the above example, user$ is an observable that emits user data. The @let syntax simplifies handling asynchronous data and conditional rendering.
π Use Cases:
β Using the async pipe directly in multiple places can lead to multiple subscriptions, which is inefficient and can cause performance issues:
<div>{{ total$ | async }}</div>
<div>{{ total$ | async }}</div>
The solution is to use the @let syntax to declare a variable for the observable value. This approach ensures a single subscription.
@let total = total$ | async;
<div>{{ total }}</div>
<div>{{ total }}</div>
β One of the most annoying issues with signals is their lack of type narrowing ability within the template. We can use the @let feature to resolve this problem:
@let txType = tx().type;
@switch(txType) {
@case('a') {}
@case('b') {}
}
@let address = person()?.address();
@if (address) {
<app-address [address]="address">
}
β The @let syntax particularly useful within @for loops. We can create intermediate properties directly in the template, enhancing readability and reducing the need for additional component logic:
@for (user of users(); track user.id) {
@let address = user.address;
<div>
<h3>User: {{ user.name }}</h3>
<div>
<p>Street: {{ address.street }}</p>
<p>City: {{ address.city }}</p>
<p>Zipcode: {{ address.zipcode }}</p>
</div>
@for (order of user.orders) {
<div>
<h4>Order: {{ order.id }}</h4>
<p>Product: {{ order.productName }}</p>
<p>Quantity: {{ order.quantity }}</p>
</div>
}
</div>
}
β Using an expensive pipe multiple times in a template often necessitates creating a property in the component to store the transformed data. With the @let syntax, we can declare and reuse a transformed variable once, reducing the computational load and keeping our template clean:
@let someResult = someData | somePipe;
<p>{{ someResult }}</p>
<p>{{ someResult }}</p>
β¨ Conclusion
This new feature enhances the development experience for Angular developers by addressing common challenges such as managing falsy values, avoiding multiple subscriptions, and reducing repetitive code.
I hope you found it helpful. Thanks for reading. π
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Posted on May 31, 2024
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