When to Use Signals vs Observables

Paul sits down with Mark Techson to break down Angular v21. They explore how Angular signals power new features like Angular signal forms, improve scalability, and simplify state management. The conversation dives deep into Angular AI tooling, including the Angular MCP server, Angular AI tutor, and the Angular Gemini CLI extension, explaining how Angular is adapting to modern AI-first developer workflows. Mark also shares how Angular Aria introduces Angular headless components with built-in Angular accessibility, reshaping UX collaboration. The episode wraps with updates on using Vitest with Angular, and performance features like Angular defer syntax and Angular incremental hydration.

Links

Blog: https://marktechson.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktechson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marktechson
X: https://x.com/marktechson
Github: https://github.com/MarkTechson

Resources

Announcing Angular v21: https://blog.angular.dev/announcing-angular-v21-57946c34f14b
Angular v21 video announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDAHORVzQ5g

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Chapters

00:00:00 – Introduction & What’s New in Angular v21
00:01:00 – Angular Release Cadence & Why v21 Matters
00:02:45 – Who Angular v21 Is For: Scaling Teams & Apps
00:04:00 – AI in Modern Angular Workflows
00:05:00 – Context, Memory, and AI Tooling Strategy
00:07:30 – Web CodeGen Score & Evidence-Based Best Practices
00:08:50 – Introducing Signal Forms
00:11:00 – Client vs Server Validation with Signals
00:12:00 – Migration Strategy for Signal Forms
00:13:00 – Signals vs Observables: When to Use Each
00:15:00 – Rethinking UX with Angular Aria
00:17:00 – Headless Components & Design Systems
00:19:30 – Styling, AI, and Design Collaboration
00:22:00 – Testing in Angular v21 & Vitest
00:24:00 – Why Vitest Took Time to Land
00:26:00 – Developer Experience & Framework Fatigue
00:29:00 – Choosing Frameworks in 2025
00:31:00 – AI Tutors, MCP Servers & CLI Tooling
00:34:00 – Deferred Loading & Incremental Hydration
00:35:00 – Where to Learn More & Closing Remarks