Angular Interview Practice

What best distinguishes a directive from a component in Angular?

1. Components are used for event management

2. Directives cannot be reused

3. Components have a template and logic, directives modify existing DOM elements

4. Directives can only be used in templates

The correct answer is: Components have a template and logic, directives modify existing DOM elements

The distinction between a directive and a component in Angular primarily revolves around their structural and functional differences. A component is a more advanced type of directive that not only encapsulates the logic but also has an associated template that defines its view. This means that components can create independent UI elements that include both markup (HTML) and behavior (JavaScript or TypeScript). In contrast, directives are utilized to extend the behavior of DOM elements. They do not contain their own templates but can manipulate or modify the attributes and behavior of existing elements in the DOM. This modification is often based on various conditions or data bound to the directive, allowing for reusable functionality across different components or elements, but without encapsulating a complete view like a component does. This structural hierarchy and functionality are what clearly differentiate components from directives, as components serve as self-contained elements with their lifecycle methods, templates, and styles, while directives enhance or alter the behavior and appearance of existing HTML elements.