Home / Companies / LogRocket / Blog / Post Details
Content Deep Dive

Angular signals vs. observables: How and when to use each

Blog post from LogRocket

Post Details
Company
Date Published
Author
Lewis Cianci
Word Count
2,848
Language
-
Hacker News Points
-
Summary

Angular 16 introduces the signals feature, enhancing the handling of asynchronous operations alongside the pre-existing observables, which are supplied by RxJS. Signals offer a simpler, more efficient way to create responsive and reactive user interfaces by allowing variables to notify consumers of value changes, as opposed to the more complex and powerful observables. While observables are ideal for managing asynchronous programming, event handling, and multiple emitted values in services, signals are beneficial within the UI layer for updating and setting values without the need for complex subscription management. Despite the arrival of signals, observables remain relevant, especially for handling streams of data over time with the flexibility of RxJS operators. Ultimately, the choice between signals and observables depends on the specific requirements of the application and the developer's comfort level, with both options offering similar performance outcomes.