Making Your Angular App Smart: Call localhost on Server and IP on Client with Angular Universal

Описание: Learn how to configure your Angular Universal app to intelligently switch between `localhost` and an IP address based on whether your code is running on the server or the client.
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Angular Universal SSR: Switching Between Localhost and IP Address

When working with Angular Universal for server-side rendering (SSR), developers often come across a common dilemma: how to configure their application to differentiate between server and client environments. If your Angular application and server are running on the same machine, it can be quite beneficial to have your project call localhost when operating on the server and an external IP address when it’s being interacted with by a client browser. This can help streamline communication and improve performance. In this guide, we will explore how to achieve this seamlessly.

Understanding the Challenge

In a typical setup, Angular applications communicate with their servers via HTTP requests. However, when the same application is served on a server-side environment, the context changes. Here’s the challenge:

Server-side (Angular Universal): The application should call the localhost address.

Client-side (Browser): The application should call an external IP address.

By effectively managing this distinction, you can make your Angular application more efficient and responsive to user interactions.

The Solution: Distinguishing Between Server and Client

The Angular framework provides built-in utilities that help us determine whether our code is being executed on the server or the client. This can be done using the isPlatformServer and isPlatformBrowser methods from the @ angular/common module.

Step-by-Step Guide

Import the Necessary Functions

Begin by importing the required functions at the top of your TypeScript file:

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Implement Conditional Logic

You can then use these functions to create conditional logic that checks the platform and executes code accordingly:

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Example Use Case

Let’s put this into a practical context. If you were making an API call, you could structure your code like this:

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When to Use This Logic

It’s crucial to use this conditional check anywhere you need to handle platform-specific behavior. For instance, this is particularly important when interacting with browser-specific objects like window, document, or making any HTTP calls that depend on the server or client contexts.

Conclusion

By using the platform checks provided by Angular, you can streamline your Angular Universal application to handle requests effectively, ensuring optimal behavior on both the server and client sides. This simple yet powerful approach allows you to maintain efficient communication between your application and server while keeping performance sharp.

Implement these steps in your project today to make it smarter and more adaptable!