AngularJS is an open-source framework for dynamic web applications that integrates the model-view-controller architecture and functionality for rich Internet applications. It is intended to simplify development by allowing developers to work at a high level of abstraction by simplifying data binding, minimizing the explicit document object model (DOM) manipulation required of the programmer, and decoupling the client and server sides of applications. This book is an introduction to AngularJS, intended to provide sufficient knowledge for practitioners to develop applications.

The bulk of the book is devoted to fundamentals: the mechanics of framework components and the basics of how to use them. Chapter 2 describes the main components of AngularJS and how they combine in the typical application. Pointers on practical usage are included, though more discussion of circumstances in which the AngularJS framework would overly constrain development would have been useful. Chapters 3 through 5 discuss the basic structure of applications, including application dynamics, modules, dependency injection, scopes, and templates. Chapters 6 and 7 discuss directives, which are markers on Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) elements used to specify behavior and transformations pertaining to the document element. Chapter 8 discusses events, which implement processing of user interaction, changes to data, and interactions between different components of the application. Chapters 9 and 10 discuss services, which are application objects that can be combined via dependency injection to implement functionality such as dispatch of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests, timers, and hooks to animations, as well as task-specific functionality.

The last chapter describes how the basics described in the preceding chapters can be combined to develop web applications, and it is followed by an introductory discussion of tools and considerations for testing AngularJS applications.

The exposition is clear and readable, and sufficient examples, code listings, and figures are included. Explanations of how things work and why they work that way are also provided, if only briefly, which is a positive feature of this book. On the other hand, readers who want a single resource to provide a standing start to AngularJS may find the organization of this book somewhat confusing; for example, the dependency injection might have been better discussed later in sequence, instead of near the beginning. Such readers should find the going easier if it is read in conjunction with an online introductory tutorial and the online documentation from the AngularJS website (https://angularjs.org), to which it would be a good complement.

Prerequisites to understanding the material in this book are experience with HTML and programming languages. Exposure to web application frameworks would also be helpful, as familiarity with their basic ideas and paradigms makes it easier to grasp the way things are done in AngularJS. Prior exposure to JavaScript would also be extremely useful, but an introductory chapter on JavaScript is included for readers who lack it.

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