Hexagonal Architecture in Angular: An Overview with an Example
Tags: webdev, javascript, programming, angular
Published: 2023-01-30 03:37:44



Hexagonal Architecture, also known as Ports and Adapters, is a software design pattern that focuses on the separation of concerns. It's a way to structure applications in such a way that they are decoupled from external factors like databases, third-party APIs, and user interfaces. In Angular, this architecture can be applied to build scalable and maintainable applications.

In a hexagonal architecture, the application is seen as a central core with different ports for different external systems. The core contains the business logic and interacts with external systems through adapters. The core is isolated from changes in external systems, making the application more flexible and adaptable.

Example of Hexagonal Architecture in Angular

Here is an example of how you can implement hexagonal architecture in Angular:

Core: The core contains the business logic of the application. It is the central component and should have no knowledge of external systems. The core is responsible for processing inputs and producing outputs.

Ports: Ports are the interfaces between the core and external systems. They define what the core needs from external systems and what it provides to them.

Adapters: Adapters are the components that implement the ports. They translate data between the core and external systems.

Let's consider a simple to-do application where the core is responsible for creating, reading, updating, and deleting to-do items. The user interface is an external system, and the database is another external system.

In this example, the core has two ports: one for the user interface and one for the database. The user interface port provides methods for retrieving and saving to-do items. The database port provides methods for reading and writing to-do items from the database.

The adapters for the user interface and database ports implement the methods defined in the ports. The user interface adapter communicates with the user interface to retrieve and save to-do items. The database adapter communicates with the database to read and write to-do items.

Benefits of Hexagonal Architecture in Angular

Increased Flexibility: The separation of the core from external systems makes the application more flexible. Changes to external systems do not affect the core, and the core can continue to operate even if external systems are unavailable.

Improved Testability: The isolation of the core makes it easier to test. The core can be tested in isolation, without the need for external systems. This improves the reliability and maintainability of the application.

Improved Scalability: The separation of the core from external systems makes it easier to add new features and scale the application. New external systems can be added without affecting the core.

Conclusion

Hexagonal architecture is a powerful design pattern that can be used to build scalable and maintainable applications in Angular. By separating the core from external systems, the application becomes more flexible, testable, and scalable. The example provided in this article is a simple demonstration of how hexagonal architecture can be applied in Angular. With this architecture, you can build complex applications that can adapt to changing requirements and grow over time.