Microfrontends Architecture Tutorial: Building with React and Angular

Microfrontends are a way of building websites or web applications by dividing them into smaller, independent parts. It's like breaking a big task into smaller, manageable pieces. Each piece is called a microfrontend, and it represents a specific part or feature of the website.

In traditional website development, the entire codebase is responsible for handling the entire user interface. This can make the code complex and difficult to manage. With microfrontends, we divide the work among different teams or individuals. Each team focuses on developing their own microfrontend, using different technologies like Angular, React, or others.

Once each microfrontend is developed, they are combined to create the complete website. It's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. To do this, we use a main application, called the shell application or container application, which acts as a frame that holds the microfrontends and connects them.

The benefit of using microfrontends is that it allows teams to work independently on their specific parts without interfering with each other. It promotes collaboration and flexibility. Also, if we need to add new features or update a specific part of the website, we can do it without affecting the rest of the website.

In simple terms, microfrontends help us build websites by breaking them into smaller pieces, where each piece is developed independently and later combined to create the complete website. It makes development easier and allows different teams to work on different parts simultaneously.

Microfrontends have gained popularity as an architectural pattern that promotes modularity and scalability in web development. In this tutorial, we'll explore the concept of microfrontends and demonstrate how to implement them using two popular frameworks: React and Angular. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a solid understanding of microfrontends and be able to build a modular and flexible web application.
You can check this Microfrontends tutorial with docker and nginx too for more deep understanding.

Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of React and Angular
• Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your machine

Section 1: Understanding Microfrontends

• Introduction to microfrontends and their benefits
• Comparison with monolithic frontend architectures
• The concept of breaking a web application into smaller, independent parts

Section 2: Setting Up the Shell Application

• Setting up the main shell application using a framework like single-spa
• Configuring routing and navigation within the shell application
• Creating a basic shell layout for rendering microfrontends

Section 3: Building the React Microfrontend

• Creating a new React project for the microfrontend
• Implementing React components and functionality specific to the microfrontend's feature
• Building the React microfrontend as a standalone application

Section 4: Building the Angular Microfrontend

• Creating a new Angular project for the microfrontend
• Developing Angular components and services for the microfrontend's functionality
• Building the Angular microfrontend as a standalone application

Section 5: Integrating Microfrontends into the Shell Application

• Importing and registering the React and Angular microfrontends in the shell application
• Configuring routing within the shell application to render the appropriate microfrontends based on the URL
• Integrating communication between microfrontends, such as passing data or triggering events

Section 6: Deploying and Scaling Microfrontends

• Preparing the React and Angular microfrontends for deployment
• Hosting microfrontends independently on different servers or platforms
• Ensuring proper versioning and dependency management for each microfrontend

Section 7: Best Practices and Considerations

• Managing shared dependencies between microfrontends
• Establishing clear interfaces and communication protocols between microfrontends
• Ensuring consistent styling and user experience across microfrontends

Microfrontends offer a modular and scalable approach to web development, allowing teams to work independently on different parts of an application using different frameworks. In this tutorial, we explored the implementation of microfrontends using React and Angular. By following the steps outlined, you can build a robust and flexible web application that can evolve and scale with ease.

Remember to consider the specific needs of your project and evaluate whether microfrontends are the right choice. While microfrontends offer numerous benefits, they may introduce additional complexity and overhead. With careful planning, thoughtful design, and adherence to best practices, microfrontends can empower you to build highly maintainable and scalable web applications.

Now, let's dive into each section of the tutorial and start building with React and Angular microfrontends!

Section 1: Understanding Microfrontends

Microfrontends are an architectural pattern that involves breaking down a web application into smaller, independent parts, where each part represents a specific feature or functional area. Unlike traditional monolithic architectures, microfrontends allow teams to work on different parts of the application independently, using different technologies if needed. This promotes modularity, scalability, and flexibility.

In this tutorial, we'll demonstrate how to implement microfrontends using React and Angular, two popular JavaScript frameworks. By the end, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of how to build a modular web application using these frameworks.

Section 2: Setting Up the Shell Application

Install the necessary dependencies:
Install single-spa using npm:

npm install single-spa

Create a new directory for your shell application:

mkdir shell-app
cd shell-app

Initialize a new npm project and follow the prompts to set it up:

npm init
Install additional dependencies required for the shell application:
  

npm install react react-dom single-spa-react-router

Create a new file called index.js in the root of the shell application directory. This will serve as the entry point for the shell application. Set up the basic structure of the shell application: jsx

// index.js
import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import singleSpaReact from 'single-spa-react-router';

const lifecycles = singleSpaReact({
  React,
  ReactDOM,
  // Define your root component for the shell application here
});

export const { bootstrap, mount, unmount } = lifecycles;

Section 3: Building the React Microfrontend

Create a new directory for the React microfrontend:

mkdir react-microfrontend
cd react-microfrontend

Set up a new React project within the microfrontend directory:

npx create-react-app .

Start the development server for the React microfrontend:

npm start

Implement the desired functionality and components for the React microfrontend within the src directory. Build the React microfrontend as a standalone application:

npm run build

Section 4: Building the Angular Microfrontend

Create a new directory for the Angular microfrontend:

mkdir angular-microfrontend
cd angular-microfrontend

Install the Angular CLI globally (if not already installed):

npm install -g @angular/cli

Set up a new Angular project within the microfrontend directory:

ng new .

Start the development server for the Angular microfrontend:

ng serve

Implement the desired functionality and components for the Angular microfrontend within the src/app directory. Build the Angular microfrontend as a standalone application:

ng build --prod

Section 5: Integrating Microfrontends into the Shell Application

• In the shell application's index.js file, import the necessary components from React and Angular microfrontends.
• Define the root component for the shell application, which will handle the routing and rendering of microfrontends.
• Configure routing within the shell application to render the appropriate microfrontend based on the URL. You can use libraries like React Router or Angular Router to handle the routing logic.
• Import and register the React and Angular microfrontends in the shell application:

jsx

// index.js
import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import singleSpaReact from 'single-spa-react-router';

import { bootstrap as reactBootstrap, mount as reactMount, unmount as reactUnmount } from './react-microfrontend/build/microfrontend.js';
import { bootstrap as angularBootstrap, mount as angularMount, unmount as angularUnmount } from './angular-microfrontend/dist/microfrontend.js';

const lifecycles = singleSpaReact({
  React,
  ReactDOM,
  // Define your root component for the shell application here
});

const reactMicrofrontend = {
  bootstrap: reactBootstrap,
  mount: reactMount,
  unmount: reactUnmount,
};

const angularMicrofrontend = {
  bootstrap: angularBootstrap,
  mount: angularMount,
  unmount: angularUnmount,
};

// Register the microfrontends
singleSpa.registerApplication('react-microfrontend', reactMicrofrontend, () => true);
singleSpa.registerApplication('angular-microfrontend', angularMicrofrontend, () => true);

export const { bootstrap, mount, unmount } = lifecycles;

Section 6: Deploying and Scaling Microfrontends

Prepare the React and Angular microfrontends for deployment. These steps may involve bundling, minification, and optimizing the code for production. Host the React and Angular microfrontends independently on different servers or platforms. This could include deploying them to different cloud providers, containers, or static file hosting services. Ensure proper versioning and dependency management for each microfrontend to avoid conflicts and compatibility issues.

Section 7: Best Practices and Considerations Manage shared dependencies between microfrontends carefully. Use module bundlers like Webpack or Rollup to handle common dependencies and prevent duplication. Establish clear interfaces and communication protocols between microfrontends. Define contracts and APIs that allow microfrontends to interact and exchange data effectively. Ensure consistent styling and user experience across microfrontends by adopting shared design systems or component libraries.

Conclusion: In this tutorial, we explored the implementation of microfrontends using React and Angular. We covered setting up the shell application, building the React and Angular microfrontends, integrating them into the shell application, and deploying and scaling microfrontends. By following these steps, you can build a modular and flexible web application using microfrontends with React and Angular. Remember to consider the specific needs of your project and evaluate whether microfrontends are the right architectural choice. With careful planning, adherence to best practices, and continuous improvement, microfrontends can empower you to build highly maintainable and scalable web applications. Happy coding with microfrontends using React and Angular!