Upgrading Angular might seem like a daunting task—especially when you’re traversing multiple major versions. But with a strategic approach, each upgrade step brings performance gains, enhanced tooling, and a modern UI experience.
In this post, we take you through a real-world Angular upgrade journey—from version 13 to 19—detailing the benefits, challenges, and proven solutions to help you execute your own migration confidently.
Why Upgrade Angular?
Upgrading isn’t just about staying current—it’s about unlocking what the latest Angular has to offer:
Performance Improvements: Faster runtime and reduced bundle sizes.
Long-Term Support: Stay within Angular’s active support lifecycle.
Enhanced Developer Experience: Smarter CLI, better debugging, and streamlined workflows.
Faster Builds and Testing: Improved tooling means quicker feedback loops.
Modern UI with MDC-based Angular Material: Cleaner, consistent, and accessible design by default.
Pre-Upgrade Preparation
Before touching any code, lay the groundwork:
Backup your current project: Create a separate branch as a safety net.
Upgrade Node.js: Ensure compatibility with the targeted Angular version.
Update Angular CLI (both globally and locally): Use ng update smartly.
Audit third-party libraries: Track which libraries support newer Angular versions.
Upgrade Path: One Version at a Time
The safest route? Don’t skip versions. Here’s the upgrade path we followed:
# Example: Upgrading from Angular 13 to 14
ng update @angular/core@14 @angular/cli@14
Repeat the process for each major release:
14 ➝ 15
15 ➝ 16
16 ➝ 17
17 ➝ 18
18 ➝ 19
After each upgrade:
Run ng serve and ng test
Fix errors and validate app behavior
Commit changes incrementally
UI Refactor: What Changed Visibly
With MDC-based Angular Material becoming the default in newer versions, we had to refactor multiple UI elements:
Deprecated MatFormFieldControl
Dialog behavior and alignment changes
Checkbox and radio button sizing issues
Legacy SCSS theming variables removed
Button padding and layout density shifts
Real-World Challenges & How We Solved Them
The upgrade journey was packed with architectural and UI challenges. Here’s how we tackled them:
Major Challenges
Heavy Logic in Components ✔️ Refactored into Angular services for separation of concerns and better testability.
ArcGIS Maps Integration ✔️ Updated bindings and lifecycle hooks to sync with Angular’s latest changes.
File Import/Export Handling ✔️ Used streaming and modular parsers to support large data files and multiple formats efficiently.
Custom UI Styling with SCSS Variables ✔️ Overrode MDC-based CSS variables and set up a centralized style management system.
Complex Workflow Handling ✔️ Built reusable components with configurable logic for dynamic workflows.
Accessibility Compliance ✔️ Audited components for ARIA attributes, keyboard navigation, and contrast ratios.
Issues Faced & Fixes Applied
Issue
Fix
mat-form-field styling issues
Migrated to MDC theming tokens and updated CSS variables
Bootstrap modals not working
Resolved z-index and backdrop conflicts
Incompatible third-party libraries
Installed updated versions or replaced unsupported ones
Broken SCSS theming
Overrode MDC custom properties while maintaining UI consistency
Dialog/overlay layering problems
Audited component stack contexts and adjusted styles
Pro Tips from the Upgrade
Don’t skip versions — each major release contains essential migration scripts.
Avoid using –force — it can skip important checks and introduce issues.
Upgrade Angular Material alongside Core & CLI — ensures consistency and theming compatibility.
Commit after each version upgrade — easy rollback if needed.
Run unit tests after each step — detect regressions early.
Key Questions Answered
How did you handle breaking changes in Angular Material after version 15?
Angular Material’s switch to MDC components caused issues with theming, spacing, and SCSS variables. We migrated to the new theming tokens, used MDC CSS custom properties, and set up a centralized style system to maintain visual consistency without a complete redesign.
What was your approach for managing complex workflows and reusable components?
We refactored workflow logic into services and built modular, reusable components that accepted input bindings. This helped reduce duplication and made the codebase easier to test and scale as business logic evolved.
Did you face performance issues with large data imports/exports?
Yes. To handle large parcel datasets and multiple file formats, we moved from synchronous parsing to streaming file readers, ensuring that UI responsiveness wasn’t blocked. We also modularized parsers for better performance and easier maintenance.
Final Thoughts
An Angular upgrade is not a one-click task—it’s a journey through architectural choices, styling upgrades, and dependency management. But the rewards are worth it: modern performance, future-proofed code, and a better developer and user experience.
If your Angular app is still on an older version, now is the time to plan your path forward—one version at a time.
Upgrading Angular might seem like a daunting task—especially when you’re traversing multiple major versions. But with a strategic approach, each upgrade step brings performance gains, enhanced tooling, and a modern UI experience.
In this post, we take you through a real-world Angular upgrade journey—from version 13 to 19—detailing the benefits, challenges, and proven solutions to help you execute your own migration confidently.
Why Upgrade Angular?
Upgrading isn’t just about staying current—it’s about unlocking what the latest Angular has to offer:
Pre-Upgrade Preparation
Before touching any code, lay the groundwork:
Upgrade Path: One Version at a Time
The safest route? Don’t skip versions. Here’s the upgrade path we followed:
# Example: Upgrading from Angular 13 to 14
ng update @angular/core@14 @angular/cli@14
Repeat the process for each major release:
After each upgrade:
UI Refactor: What Changed Visibly
With MDC-based Angular Material becoming the default in newer versions, we had to refactor multiple UI elements:
Real-World Challenges & How We Solved Them
The upgrade journey was packed with architectural and UI challenges. Here’s how we tackled them:
Major Challenges
✔️ Refactored into Angular services for separation of concerns and better testability.
✔️ Updated bindings and lifecycle hooks to sync with Angular’s latest changes.
✔️ Used streaming and modular parsers to support large data files and multiple formats efficiently.
✔️ Overrode MDC-based CSS variables and set up a centralized style management system.
✔️ Built reusable components with configurable logic for dynamic workflows.
✔️ Audited components for ARIA attributes, keyboard navigation, and contrast ratios.
Issues Faced & Fixes Applied
Pro Tips from the Upgrade
Key Questions Answered
How did you handle breaking changes in Angular Material after version 15?
Angular Material’s switch to MDC components caused issues with theming, spacing, and SCSS variables. We migrated to the new theming tokens, used MDC CSS custom properties, and set up a centralized style system to maintain visual consistency without a complete redesign.
What was your approach for managing complex workflows and reusable components?
We refactored workflow logic into services and built modular, reusable components that accepted input bindings. This helped reduce duplication and made the codebase easier to test and scale as business logic evolved.
Did you face performance issues with large data imports/exports?
Yes. To handle large parcel datasets and multiple file formats, we moved from synchronous parsing to streaming file readers, ensuring that UI responsiveness wasn’t blocked. We also modularized parsers for better performance and easier maintenance.
Final Thoughts
An Angular upgrade is not a one-click task—it’s a journey through architectural choices, styling upgrades, and dependency management. But the rewards are worth it: modern performance, future-proofed code, and a better developer and user experience.
If your Angular app is still on an older version, now is the time to plan your path forward—one version at a time.
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