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Introduction

State management is a critical piece of modern Angular applications. Traditionally, developers have leaned heavily on RxJS and BehaviorSubject for this task. While powerful, these tools require careful subscription management and boilerplate code. In this Lunch & Learn session, Principal Architect LeRoy Michaelson introduces Angular Signals—a lighter, more intuitive alternative to traditional state management approaches.

Key Concepts

What Are Angular Signals?

Angular Signals are a recent addition to Angular, offering a simplified and reactive programming model. They automatically notify consumers of changes, eliminating the need for manual subscriptions.

BehaviorSubjects vs Signals

BehaviorSubjects:

• Emit values to subscribers
• Require manual subscription management
• Are susceptible to memory leaks if unsubscribed improperly

Signals:

• Automatically propagate changes
• Remove the need for subscription management
• Simplify state derivation with computed()

Best Practices

1. Prefer Signals Over BehaviorSubjects: Signals provide a cleaner, more maintainable codebase with fewer risks.
2. Encapsulate State Logic in Services: Whether using Signals or NgRx, hide implementation behind semantic verbs like increment() and reset().
3. Use Interfaces for Component Inputs: Avoid classes when possible. Interfaces reduce memory usage and improve flexibility and testability.
4. Be Thoughtful About Mixing Paradigms: While Signals and Observables can coexist, use one per component to reduce cognitive load.
5. Signals as Inputs: Angular’s input() method allows signal-based inputs, automatically updating child components and simplifying change detection.

Actionable Tips

• Start Gradually: Migrate to Signals one component at a time—they work alongside Observables.
• Use computed() for Derived State: Automatically update values with simple, declarative logic.
• Avoid Memory Leaks: Let Angular manage reactivity—no need for ngOnDestroy teardown.
• Integrate with NgRx Thoughtfully: Encapsulate store logic in services and expose signals to components.
• Evaluate in Large Apps: Some developers recommend BehaviorSubjects for long-lived service-level state, but Signals excel at component-level communication.

Conclusion

Angular Signals simplify the mental model of state management. They help developers write reactive, efficient code without the boilerplate of RxJS. While not a full replacement for all scenarios—especially in large-scale state management—they provide a modern, developer-friendly option.

At InRhythm, we’re constantly exploring and mastering tools that push the boundaries of performance and developer experience. If you’re interested in integrating Signals or refining your state management approach, we’re here to support you.

Angular, Angular signals, Architecture, Frontend Engineering, Signals, state management, Web Development