December 2019 Summaries

Angular 9.0.0, slated for release soon, brings significant updates that particularly benefit Ionic developers by enabling faster and smaller app deployment. A major enhancement in this version is the default activation of Ivy, Angular's new renderer, which optimizes app size and performance by only loading necessary components. Although Ivy can create some compatibility issues for third-party components, its advantages in simplifying the use of entryComponents, such as Modals and Popovers, are noteworthy. Additionally, improvements to Angular's CLI include automatic Ahead of Time (AOT) compilation to catch errors early, and more efficient differential builds that prioritize ES2015 processing before generating ES5 versions. These updates, currently in release candidate stage, are expected to enhance the overall developer experience and productivity once Angular 9.0.0 is officially launched.

Ionic React Hooks, a new project launched by the Ionic team, provides React developers with a simplified way to access device hardware and APIs using Capacitor in Ionic React projects. This collection of React hooks serves as wrappers around Capacitor APIs, enabling functionalities such as accessing the camera, GPS, and network status with minimal lines of code in a functional component paradigm. By leveraging hooks, which were introduced in React v16.8, developers can perform complex tasks within functional components without resorting to class-based components. Ionic React Hooks facilitates seamless integration with both web and native platforms, allowing the same codebase to function as a progressive web app or a native mobile app, thanks to Capacitor's cross-platform capabilities. The project is community-based, inviting contributions and feedback to expand the range of hooks available for Capacitor APIs, while also promoting an easier, more intuitive development experience for Ionic React developers.