Angular CLI

Term added on Saturday 15th June, 2024 by Team

The Angular CLI (Command-Line Interface) is an essential tool for developers working with the Angular framework. It is a powerful command-line utility that simplifies the process of creating, developing, and maintaining Angular applications. By automating many of the tedious and repetitive tasks involved in Angular development, the CLI allows developers to focus on writing code and building features, rather than worrying about project setup and configuration.

One of the primary advantages of the Angular CLI is its ability to quickly generate boilerplate code for various Angular constructs, such as components, services, modules, and pipes. This not only saves developers time but also ensures consistent code structure and organization across projects. For example, to generate a new component named “my-component,” you can simply run the following command:

This command will create a new folder named “my-component” within your application’s source directory, containing the necessary files for the component, including the TypeScript file, HTML template, CSS styles, and a test file.

In addition to code generation, the Angular CLI provides a comprehensive set of commands for managing and building Angular applications. For instance, you can use the ng serve command to start a development server and automatically reload the application when changes are made to the source code. This feature greatly enhances the development workflow by providing instant feedback and reducing the need for manual refreshes.

The CLI also offers powerful build and deployment capabilities. The ng build command optimizes and bundles your application for production, applying techniques like ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, tree-shaking, and bundle size optimization. Additionally, the ng deploy command can be used to deploy your application to various hosting platforms, such as Firebase or GitHub Pages, with minimal configuration.

One of the key strengths of the Angular CLI is its extensibility through plugins and third-party packages. Developers can install and integrate various tools and libraries into their Angular projects using the CLI’s package management system. For example, you can add Angular Material, a popular UI component library, to your project by running the following command:

This command will not only install the required packages but also set up the necessary configuration and import statements, making it easier to start using Angular Material in your application.

Here’s an example that demonstrates how to create a new Angular application using the Angular CLI:

1. Open your terminal or command prompt.

2. Install the Angular CLI globally by running the following command:

3. Navigate to the directory where you want to create your new Angular project.

4. Run the following command to generate a new Angular application named “my-app”:

5. The CLI will prompt you with a series of questions, such as whether you want to add routing and which stylesheets format you prefer. Make your selections based on your project requirements.

6. Once the project is generated, navigate to the project directory:

7. Start the development server by running:

8. The CLI will build and serve your application, and you can access it by opening your web browser and navigating to http://localhost:4200.

The Angular CLI is an indispensable tool for Angular developers, providing a streamlined and efficient development experience. With its powerful command-line interface, code generation capabilities, build and deployment tools, and extensibility through plugins, the CLI empowers developers to focus on building high-quality Angular applications while ensuring consistent project structure and optimized performance.

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