Angular v21, from signals to testing with Mark Techson

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 We want to hear from you! How did you find us? Did you see us on Twitter? In a newsletter? Or maybe we were recommended by a friend? Fill out our listener survey (https://t.co/oKVAEXipxu)! https://t.co/oKVAEXipxu Let us know by sending an email to our producer, Elizabeth, at [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail]), or tweet at us at PodRocketPod (https://twitter.com/PodRocketpod). Check out our newsletter (https://blog.logrocket.com/the-replay-newsletter/)! https://blog.logrocket.com/the-replay-newsletter/ Follow us. Get free stickers. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, fill out this form (https://podrocket.logrocket.com/get-podrocket-stickers), and we’ll send you free PodRocket stickers! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces the UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Start understanding where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) 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