Difference Between Template And TemplateUrl In Angular

Occasionally, you may want to define a component's template in Angular to control how it appears and functions. Angular offers two methods to add a template to a component: template and templateUrl. Despite having a similar appearance, they have diverse functions.

When using Angular, the @Component decorator function accepts an object as an argument that has multiple attributes, such as template and templateUrl. These properties are treated differently, but they are utilized to define the component's template.

Prerequisites

• Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Angular CLI

What are Templates in Angular?

In Angular, a template is like a blueprint or layout that defines how your component should look on screen. It is written using HTML and can include Angular syntax to display data, handle user inputs, or control how elements are shown on the screen or hidden. Templates allow you to connect your components' data to view. For example, if you have a user's name in your component you can display it in your template using curly brackets like {{ user.name }}.

Features of Templates in Angular

Key Features of Templates in Angular are:

• Data Binding: Angular templates allow you to bind data from your component to the view. This can be done using ( {{ }} ) curly brackets for displaying values, [ property ] binding for setting element properties and (event) binding for handling user actions.
• Directives: Template can use Angular Directives to add logic and control to the view. Common directives are *ngIf, *ngFor, *ngSwitch.
• Two way Data Binding: With Angular's data binding using [( ngModel )], templates can keep inputs and other elements in sync with your component's properties.
• Pipes: Pipes in templates are used to transform data directly in the view. For example, you can use | operator to format dates, currencies, or other values.

Steps to Create Application

Step 1: Install Angular CLI

If you have not installed Angular CLI , install it by using the following command.

npm install -g @angular/cli

Step 2: Create a new Angular project

ng new advance-angular

Step 3: Navigate to the Project Directory

cd advance-angular

Folder Structure

Dependencies

"dependencies": {
    "@angular/animations": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/common": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/compiler": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/core": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/forms": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/platform-browser": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/platform-browser-dynamic": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/platform-server": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/router": "^18.2.0",
    "@angular/ssr": "^18.2.0",
    "express": "^4.18.2",
    "rxjs": "~7.8.0",
    "tslib": "^2.3.0",
    "zone.js": "~0.14.10"
}

Example of template

Below is a code example demonstrating the use of template in which we define the HTML content in template array in @component Decorator.

//src/app/app.component.ts

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import { RouterOutlet } from '@angular/router';

@Component({
    selector: 'app-root',
    standalone: true,
    imports: [RouterOutlet],
    template: `<h1>Hello GeeksForGeeks</h1>
              <p>Well come, My Template</p>`,
    styleUrl: './app.component.css'
})
export class AppComponent {
    title = 'advance-angular';
}

To start the application run the following command.

ng serve --open

Output

What is TemplateUrl?

In Angular, templatUrl is a property you use to link an HTML file to a component. When you create a web page, you often separate the design (HTML) from the logic (JavaScript). In Angular, a component is like a building blocks of your web page. Each component can have its own design (HTML), logic (JavaScript) and styling (CSS) TemplateUrls is a way to tell angular where to find the HTML file. It helps keep your code organized by separating the design (HTML) from the logic (JavaScript).

Features of TemplateUrl in Angular

• Seperate HTML file: templateUrls allows you to keep your HTML design in a separate file. Instead of mixing HTML code with JavaScript logic, you can put your code in separate HTML file and link to it. This makes your code cleaner and easier to manage.
• Component Design: Each Angular component can have its own unique HTML file.This means you can design different parts of your web page separately, which keeps everything organized.
• Reusable Components: By using templateUrl, you can create reusable components with your own HTML. You can use these components in different parts of your application.

Example of templateUrl:

Below is a code example demonstrating the use of templateUrl, which is linked to the app.component.html file of the App Component.

<!-- src/app/app.component.html -->

<h1>Hello, GeeksForGeeks</h1>

//src/app/app.component.ts

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import { RouterOutlet } from '@angular/router';

@Component({
    selector: 'app-root',
    standalone: true,
    imports: [RouterOutlet],
    templateUrl: './app.component.html',
    styles: [`
  h1 {
    color: purple;
    background-color:yellow;
  }
`]
})
export class AppComponent {
    title = 'advance-angular';
}

Output

Difference between Template and TemplateUrl in Angular

Conclusion

In Angular, template and templateUrl are two approaches to provide HTML for a component. In template, you write the HTML code directly inside you component file whereas in templateUrl you put your HTML code in a separate file and link to it from your component file. For better clarification, use template for quick, small piece of HTML directly in the component file whereas use templateUrl for larger or more organized HTML in a separate file to keep your code clean.