What Is the Difference Between Angular-route and Angular-ui-router?

When working with AngularJS, you may come across two popular routing libraries: angular-route and angular-ui-router. Both libraries serve the same purpose of handling routing in your AngularJS applications, but they have some key differences that you should be aware of. In this article, we will explore the differences between angular-route and angular-ui-router and help you decide which one is the best fit for your project.

angular-route

angular-route is the official routing module provided by AngularJS. It is a basic routing module that comes bundled with the AngularJS framework. It provides a simple and straightforward way to handle routing in your application.

Here’s an example of how to configure routing using angular-route:

var app = angular.module('myApp', ['ngRoute']);

app.config(function($routeProvider) {
  $routeProvider
    .when('/', {
      templateUrl: 'home.html',
      controller: 'HomeController'
    })
    .when('/about', {
      templateUrl: 'about.html',
      controller: 'AboutController'
    })
    .otherwise({
      redirectTo: '/'
    });
});

In the above code snippet, we define our routes using the $routeProvider service. We specify the URL path, the template to be rendered, and the controller to handle the logic for each route. The otherwise method is used to redirect to the default route if none of the defined routes match.

angular-ui-router

angular-ui-router is a third-party routing library that provides more advanced routing capabilities compared to angular-route. It offers features like nested views, multiple named views, and state-based routing.

Here’s an example of how to configure routing using angular-ui-router:

var app = angular.module('myApp', ['ui.router']);

app.config(function($stateProvider, $urlRouterProvider) {
  $urlRouterProvider.otherwise('/');

  $stateProvider
    .state('home', {
      url: '/',
      templateUrl: 'home.html',
      controller: 'HomeController'
    })
    .state('about', {
      url: '/about',
      templateUrl: 'about.html',
      controller: 'AboutController'
    });
});

In the above code snippet, we use the $stateProvider service to define our states. Each state is associated with a URL, a template, and a controller. The $urlRouterProvider is used to define the default route if none of the defined states match.

Differences

Now that we have seen how to configure routing using both libraries, let’s discuss the key differences between angular-route and angular-ui-router:

• Routing Approach: angular-route follows a traditional URL-based routing approach, where each route corresponds to a URL path. On the other hand, angular-ui-router introduces the concept of states, allowing you to define hierarchical states and nested views.
• Flexibility: angular-ui-router provides more flexibility compared to angular-route. It allows you to define multiple named views within a single state, which can be useful for complex layouts. It also supports nested states, making it easier to manage complex application flows.
• Community Support: angular-route is the official routing module provided by AngularJS, so it has good community support and is well-documented. However, angular-ui-router has gained popularity due to its advanced features and has a large community that actively maintains and supports it.

Ultimately, the choice between angular-route and angular-ui-router depends on the complexity of your application and your specific requirements. If you need advanced routing capabilities like nested views and state-based routing, angular-ui-router is a better choice. However, if you prefer a simpler and more lightweight solution, angular-route should suffice.

Remember to include the chosen library in your project by adding the corresponding script tag to your HTML file:

That’s it! You now have a better understanding of the difference between angular-route and angular-ui-router. Choose the one that suits your needs and happy routing!