How to Set up the Development Environment for Angular Application?

How to Set up the Development Environment for Angular Application?

On April 13, 2024, Posted by , In Angular, With Comments Off on How to Set up the Development Environment for Angular Application?

Table of Contents

Setting up the development environment for Angular is the crucial first step in beginning your journey with this powerful framework. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to web development, having a properly configured environment is essential for a smooth and efficient workflow. Angular development requires specific tools and software that work together to streamline the process of building, testing, and deploying web applications. This setup not only includes the Angular framework itself but also involves installing necessary dependencies, such as Node.js and npm, which are vital for running Angular’s development server and managing packages.

Read this awesome blog on Components and Modules in Angular to enhance your understanding and skills.

In addition to these core tools, selecting the right code editor and understanding how to use browser developer tools can greatly enhance your productivity. A well-configured development environment allows you to focus on writing clean, efficient code, while also providing the necessary tools to debug, test, and optimize your applications. By carefully setting up your development environment, you ensure that you’re ready to tackle any challenges that arise during the development process, and you set a strong foundation for building robust, scalable Angular applications.

We are here to help you with angular js learning and real-time project based training. Join our Angular JS training in Hyderabad demo and start learning angular course by highly experienced faculty and fully hands-on experience. Enroll for free demo today!

Step 1: Installing Node.js and npm

Step 1: Installing Node.js and npm

Before you can start developing with Angular, you need to have Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your system. Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that allows you to run JavaScript code outside of a browser, while npm is the package manager that comes with Node.js, used to install and manage JavaScript libraries and tools, including Angular.

1. Download Node.js

Visit the Node.js Website: Open your web browser and go to the official Node.js website at https://nodejs.org.

Choose the LTS Version: On the homepage, you will see two versions of Node.js available for download— the “Current” version and the “LTS” (Long Term Support) version. It’s recommended to download the LTS version because it is more stable and is better suited for most development environments. The LTS version receives critical updates and long-term support, making it a safer choice for projects.

Download the Installer: Click on the LTS version download button, which will automatically download the installer file appropriate for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

Read more about Angular forms with code examples.

2. Install Node.js and npm

Run the Installer: Locate the downloaded installer file on your computer (it will typically be in your Downloads folder) and double-click it to start the installation process.

Follow the Installation Wizard: The installation wizard will guide you through the steps. It’s a straightforward process:

Step 1: Agree to the terms of service.

Step 2: Choose the installation location (the default location is usually fine).

Step 3: Select the components to install. Make sure “Node.js runtime” and “npm package manager” are checked. You might also see an option for automatically installing the PATH variable—leave this option checked as it allows you to run Node.js and npm from any terminal or command prompt.

Step 4: Begin the installation by clicking the “Install” button.

Complete the Installation: Once the installation is complete, click the “Finish” button to exit the installer. Node.js and npm are now installed on your system.

3. Verify the Installation

Open a Terminal or Command Prompt: To verify that Node.js and npm have been installed correctly, open your terminal (on macOS or Linux) or command prompt (on Windows).

Check Node.js Version: Type the following command and press Enter:bashCopy codenode -v This command will display the version of Node.js that is installed on your system, for example, v18.16.0. If you see a version number, it means Node.js was installed successfully.

Check npm Version: Similarly, check the npm installation by typing:bashCopy codenpm -v This command will display the version of npm installed, for example, 8.11.0. Seeing a version number confirms that npm was installed correctly along with Node.js.

Now that you have Node.js and npm installed, your system is ready to install Angular and begin developing Angular applications. These tools are essential for running the Angular development server, managing dependencies, and executing various scripts needed during the development process.

Read more about Data Binding in Angular

Step 2: Installing Angular CLI

The Angular CLI (Command Line Interface) is an essential tool for Angular developers. It streamlines the development process by providing a set of powerful commands that help you create and manage Angular projects, add components, services, and other files, and run development servers, among other tasks. By using Angular CLI, you can avoid much of the boilerplate code and setup typically associated with web development, allowing you to focus on building your application.

1. Install Angular CLI

Open Your Terminal or Command Prompt: To begin, you’ll need to install the Angular CLI globally on your system. Open your terminal (on macOS or Linux) or command prompt (on Windows) where you’ll run the installation command.

Run the Installation Command: In your terminal or command prompt, type the following command and press Enter:bashCopy codenpm install -g @angular/cli

Explanation: The npm install -g @angular/cli command tells npm (Node Package Manager) to install the Angular CLI package. The -g flag stands for “global,” which means that Angular CLI will be installed globally on your system. This allows you to use the Angular CLI commands from any directory on your computer, rather than being limited to a single project directory. Installing Angular CLI globally ensures that you have access to all of its powerful features across all your Angular projects.

Installation Process: After running the command, npm will begin downloading and installing the Angular CLI package. This process may take a few minutes, depending on your internet speed and system performance. During the installation, npm will fetch the required dependencies and set up the Angular CLI in your global npm directory.

Read this awesome blog on Introduction to Angular to enhance your understanding and skills.

2. Verify the Installation

Check the Angular CLI Version: Once the installation is complete, it’s important to verify that Angular CLI was installed correctly. To do this, type the following command in your terminal or command prompt and press Enter:bashCopy codeng --version

Explanation: The ng --version command checks the version of Angular CLI installed on your system. The ng command is the entry point for using Angular CLI, and --version is a flag that asks for the currently installed version of Angular CLI.

View the Output: After running the command, you should see output similar to the following:Angular CLI: 13.3.0 Node: 18.16.0 Package Manager: npm 8.11.0 OS: darwin x64

Details in the Output: This output not only shows the Angular CLI version but also provides information about your Node.js and npm versions, as well as your operating system. Seeing the version number confirms that Angular CLI is installed and ready to use.

Now that Angular CLI is installed and verified, you can start creating and managing Angular projects efficiently. The CLI will assist you in generating components, services, modules, and running development servers, making the development process smoother and faster. This tool is a cornerstone of Angular development, greatly enhancing productivity by automating many of the repetitive tasks involved in building Angular applications.

Read more: Services and Dependency Injection in Angular

Step 3: Creating a New Angular Project

Now that you have installed Angular CLI, you are ready to create your first Angular project. This step involves generating a new project using the CLI, setting up the project structure, and running the application on a local development server. The Angular CLI simplifies the process by automating many of the initial setup tasks, allowing you to start coding your application immediately.

1. Create a Project

Navigate to Your Desired Directory: Before creating a new Angular project, open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where you want your project to be created. You can use the cd command to change directories. For example:bashCopy codecd path/to/your/directory Replace path/to/your/directory with the actual path where you want to store your Angular project.

Run the Project Creation Command: Once you are in the correct directory, run the following command to create a new Angular project:bashCopy codeng new my-first-project

Explanation: The ng new command tells Angular CLI to generate a new Angular project. Replace my-first-project with your desired project name. Angular CLI will then create a new directory with that name, containing all the necessary files and folders for an Angular project.

Follow the Prompts: After running the command, the CLI will ask you a few questions to set up the project according to your preferences:

Would you like to add Angular routing?: Type y (for Yes) if you plan to use Angular’s routing feature to manage navigation between different views in your application.

Which stylesheet format would you like to use?: Choose between options like CSS, SCSS, SASS, LESS, or Stylus. This determines the style format for your project. If you’re not sure, you can start with CSS and later switch to a more advanced option like SCSS.

Project Setup: The CLI will then create the project, install the necessary dependencies, and set up the basic project structure. This may take a few minutes, depending on your system and internet speed.

2. Navigate into Your Project

Change to the Project Directory: After the project is created, navigate into the new project directory by typing:bashCopy codecd my-first-project

The cd my-first-project command changes your current directory to the newly created project folder (my-first-project). This step is essential because all the subsequent commands need to be run inside the project directory.

3. Run the Development Server

Start the Development Server: To see your Angular application in action, you need to run the development server. Type the following command:bashCopy codeng serve

Explanation: The ng serve command tells Angular CLI to compile your project and start a local development server. By default, this server runs on http://localhost:4200, which you can access via a web browser.

Compilation and Serving: The CLI will compile the project’s files and start the server. You’ll see output in the terminal indicating the progress, including any build errors (if present) and a message saying the application is being served at http://localhost:4200.

Boost your Angular expertise by learning interesting facts about State Management in Angular through this comprehensive guide.

4. View Your Application

Open Your Web Browser: Once the server is running, open a web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge).

Access Your Application: In the address bar, type http://localhost:4200 and press Enter.

Explanation: This URL points to your local development server, where your Angular application is being served. Since the server is running locally on your machine, this URL will load your application directly from your computer.

See Your Angular App in Action: You should see the default Angular welcome page with the message “Welcome to my-first-project!” or a similar greeting, depending on your project name. This confirms that your Angular setup was successful and that your application is running correctly.

At this point, you have successfully created and run your first Angular project. From here, you can start exploring the project files, making changes to the code, and building out your application. The development server will automatically reload the application whenever you make changes, providing a seamless development experience.

Read more about Directives in Angular

Additional Tools

To enhance your Angular development experience, there are a few essential tools that can greatly improve productivity and efficiency. These tools not only help in writing and managing code but also assist in debugging and optimizing your Angular applications.

1. Code Editor

Visual Studio Code (VS Code): While you can technically use any text editor for Angular development, Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is highly recommended. VS Code is a free, lightweight, yet powerful code editor developed by Microsoft. It offers excellent support for TypeScript, which is the primary language used in Angular, along with rich support for JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and other web technologies.

Features: VS Code comes with integrated Git control, a powerful code debugger, and an extensive marketplace for extensions. For Angular development, there are several extensions available that can enhance your workflow, such as Angular Language Service, which provides smart completions, error checking, and navigation in Angular templates, and the Prettier extension for automatic code formatting.

Customization: One of the key benefits of VS Code is its highly customizable environment. You can tailor the editor to your specific needs by installing themes, changing keybindings, and using a variety of extensions that add functionality and streamline your development process.

Installation: To install VS Code, visit the official website, download the installer for your operating system, and follow the installation instructions. Once installed, you can start working on your Angular projects immediately by opening the project folder in VS Code.

2. Browser Developer Tools

Modern Browsers (Chrome, Firefox): Debugging is a crucial part of the development process, and modern web browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox come equipped with built-in developer tools that are essential for Angular developers.

Features: Browser developer tools allow you to inspect and debug your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript directly in the browser. You can view the live DOM structure, check styles, set breakpoints in your JavaScript code, and monitor network requests. For Angular applications, these tools are invaluable for identifying and fixing issues in your code, understanding how your application interacts with the browser, and optimizing performance.

Angular DevTools: Additionally, you can install the Angular DevTools extension for Chrome, which provides advanced debugging and profiling tools specifically for Angular applications. This extension helps you inspect the structure of your Angular app, view the component hierarchy, and analyze change detection cycles, making it easier to understand how your app is functioning and where improvements can be made.

Usage: To access the developer tools in Chrome, simply press Ctrl+Shift+I (or Cmd+Option+I on macOS) or right-click on any webpage and select “Inspect.” This will open the developer tools panel, where you can start inspecting elements, debugging scripts, and analyzing your application’s performance.

FAQs

1. What IDE to Use for Angular Development?

For Angular development, Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is one of the most popular and highly recommended Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). It’s a free, open-source editor developed by Microsoft that provides excellent support for Angular through its rich ecosystem of extensions. VS Code is lightweight yet powerful, offering features such as IntelliSense for smart code completions, integrated Git support, and an integrated terminal. It also has an extensive library of extensions that can enhance your Angular development experience, including Angular-specific tools like Angular Language Service, which offers code navigation and auto-completion within Angular templates. Additionally, the editor is highly customizable, allowing you to tailor it to your specific needs, making it a versatile choice for Angular developers.

Learn more about Angular Material and UI Components

2. How to Run Angular Project in Development Mode?

To run an Angular project in development mode, you first need to ensure that you have the Angular CLI installed. Once your project is set up, you can start the development server by opening your terminal, navigating to the project directory, and typing the command ng serve. This command compiles your project and starts a local development server, typically on http://localhost:4200. Running the project in development mode allows you to see your changes in real-time, as the server automatically reloads the application whenever you modify and save any files. This setup provides a seamless and efficient development experience, allowing you to iterate quickly and test your changes immediately.

Read more about Understanding Components and Modules in Angular

3. Which Tool is Best with Angular?

The Angular CLI (Command Line Interface) is arguably the best tool to use with Angular. It is a powerful tool that streamlines the entire development process, from setting up new projects to managing files, building applications, and deploying them. The Angular CLI allows developers to generate components, services, modules, and more with simple commands, significantly reducing the boilerplate code and manual setup typically associated with Angular projects. Additionally, it handles complex tasks such as setting up TypeScript configurations, running tests, and optimizing builds for production, making it an indispensable tool for Angular developers.

4. Is Visual Studio Good for Angular Development?

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is highly regarded as an excellent IDE for Angular development, but it’s important to note that Visual Studio (the full-featured IDE) can also be a good choice, particularly for developers who are already familiar with it or who are working on full-stack applications that include .NET backends. Visual Studio offers comprehensive support for Angular development through its robust features and integrated development tools. It includes built-in templates for Angular projects, support for TypeScript, and powerful debugging tools. While Visual Studio is more heavyweight compared to VS Code, it provides a seamless experience for developers working on larger projects that require integration with backend services, making it a solid option for Angular development in certain scenarios.

Read more about: Forms in Angular: Streamlining User Input and Validation

Conclusion

Setting up the Angular development environment is a straightforward process. Once you have Node.js, npm, and Angular CLI installed, you’re ready to start building Angular applications. Remember, this setup is your gateway to the world of Angular development, where you can create anything from simple web applications to complex enterprise-level solutions. Happy coding!

← →
Comments are closed.