With the upcoming release of AngularJS 2.0, I hear the question frequently: Should I start a new project with AngularJS or wait for the 2.0 release?
Despite past rumors, recent updates from the Angular team have indicated that there will in fact be an incremental upgrade option, so the decision on which AngularJS version to use is no longer as crucial as it once was. However, the architectures of the two frameworks are significantly different and there are still some important considerations.
AngularJS 2.0 is in alpha
The concepts behind AngularJS 2.0 are becoming more solidly nailed down, and an alpha release and quickstart guide are already available. This means that you can begin reviewing the newer architecture and concepts now, and make sure that your current code is in alignment; for example using “ControllerAs” and keeping logic in services. For more information about the new version, check out the AngularJS 2.0 examples.
AngularJS 1.4 is not going away
The tech landscape is constantly evolving. There is still a vibrant ecosystem and community support for AngularJS 1.4, and it is an excellent framework that won’t go away any time soon. Properly written code using AngularJS 1.3 or 1.4 will still be very maintainable and supportable for years to come, so it may not be worth waiting for the 2.0 version to start a new project. To the contrary, new technologies often contain bugs that don’t come to light until after a period of real-world testing and use. Since AngularJS 2.0 is a complete rewrite, it may be best to allow it time to mature as a framework before choosing it for your new project.
