Setting Up Your Development Environment

In this second chapter, we will dive into the crucial task of setting up your development environment to build Angular applications with PrimeNG components. This chapter equips you with the necessary knowledge and tools to create a seamless and productive development environment. From installing the required software to understanding the project structure, we will guide you through each step to ensure a smooth setup process.

By the end of this chapter, you will have a well-configured development environment and will be equipped with the necessary tools to start building Angular applications with PrimeNG. Understanding the technical requirements, setting up the Angular CLI, and familiarizing yourself with the project structure will lay a solid foundation for your web development journey. Additionally, leveraging an IDE such as VS Code and utilizing useful extensions will boost your productivity and make the development process more efficient...

Technical requirements

The chapter contains various code samples from a new Angular project. You can find the related source code in the chapter-02 folder of the following GitHub repository: .

Before diving into the setup process, it’s important to ensure that your system meets the necessary technical requirements for development. Let’s take a look at the key components you’ll need to have in place:

• Node.js (NVM): Install Node.js, a JavaScript runtime, using Node Version Manager (NVM) to manage multiple Node.js versions on your system. You can download and install NVM from the official website: https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm. If your company imposes restrictions on the usage of NVM, please refer to the official Node.js website (https://nodejs.org) for installation instructions and follow the provided guide.
• npm: Choose npm for managing dependencies in your Angular projects. It comes bundled with Node.js, so if you have Node.js installed, you will...

Setting up the Angular CLI

The Angular CLI (Command-Line Interface) is a powerful tool that simplifies the process of creating, developing, and maintaining Angular applications. It provides a set of commands that automate common development tasks, allowing you to focus on building your application rather than setting up the project structure manually. In this section, we will guide you through the installation process of the Angular CLI and provide an overview of its core commands.

Note

Ensure that you have a stable internet connection during the installation process. It may take some time to download and install the required packages, depending on your internet speed.

Installing Node.js v18 (using NVM)

To install NVM and set Node.js v18 as the default version, follow these steps:

1. Visit the official NVM repository on GitHub: https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm.
2. Follow the installation instructions specific to your operating system. This typically involves running...

Creating a new Angular project

Creating a new Angular project is a straightforward process. In this section, we will guide you through the steps of creating a new Angular project. We will also explore the structure and purpose of each file in a new Angular project.

To create a new Angular project, follow these steps:

1. Open your Command Prompt or Terminal.
2. Navigate to the directory where you want to create your project.
3. Run the following command to generate a new Angular project, replacing my-app with the desired name of your project:

   ng new my-app

   The ng new command creates a new Angular project with the default configuration and project structure. It installs the necessary dependencies and sets up the initial files for your application.

When running this command to create a new Angular project, there are several parameters (flags) you can use to customize the project setup. Here are some commonly used parameters:

• --dry-run: Performs a dry run of the project...

Understanding the project structure

Understanding the purpose of each file in your Angular project is essential for navigating and developing your application effectively. Each file plays a specific role in the overall structure and functionality of your Angular project.

The following is a brief overview of the new structure of Angular:

• The root directory: The root directory refers to the main folder that contains all the project files and directories. It contains the following files:
  • README.md: Contains a description of the Angular application.
  • .editorconfig: Contains configuration for code editors.
  • .gitignore: Specifies intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore.
  • angular.json: Contains CLI configuration defaults for all projects in the workspace, including configuration options for build, serve, and test tools that the CLI uses.
  • package.json: Specifies the application’s dependencies, devDependencies, scripts, licensing, and so on.
  • tsconfig.json: Specifies the...

Discovering useful VS Code extensions

When it comes to developing Angular applications, having the right tools can greatly enhance your productivity and efficiency. One of the most popular code editors among developers is Visual Studio Code (VS Code). VS Code has a wide range of extensions that can help streamline your Angular development workflow. In this section, we will introduce some useful VS Code extensions specifically tailored for Angular development.

Angular Language Service

The Angular Language Service extension is an invaluable tool for Angular developers. This extension provides a rich editing experience for Angular templates, both inline and external, including the following:

• Completion lists: Provides suggestions and autocompletion for Angular template syntax, helping developers write code more efficiently and accurately
• AOT diagnostic messages: Displays compile-time diagnostic messages related to Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation in Angular templates...

Summary

This chapter is dedicated to the crucial task of setting up your development environment to build Angular applications with PrimeNG components. We began by discussing the technical requirements, which include Node.js, Yarn/npm, GitHub, and VS Code. Detailed installation instructions were provided for each of these tools, ensuring that you have the necessary prerequisites for a seamless development experience.

The chapter then focused on the Angular CLI, a powerful command-line interface for Angular development. We walked you through the installation process on Windows, Linux, and macOS, enabling you to leverage the Angular CLI’s extensive functionality, including scaffolding, building, and testing Angular applications. Additionally, we covered creating a new Angular project, exploring the latest standalone component option and the Angular project template. You should now have a well-configured development environment equipped with the Angular CLI, ready to embark...