📘 Angular > CLI

⚙️ Angular CLI

Angular CLI is a powerful command-line interface tool that simplifies Angular development by automating common tasks. It provides developers with a consistent workflow and ensures best practices are followed when creating and managing Angular projects.

✨ Key Features of Angular CLI

• Project Initialization: Quickly scaffold a new Angular project with a predefined structure.
• Code Generation: Generate components, directives, services, pipes, and modules with a single command.
• Development Server: Serve the application locally with live reload for faster development.
• Build Optimization: Build production-ready applications with minification, Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, and tree-shaking.
• Testing Support: Run unit tests and end-to-end tests with integrated testing tools.
• Configuration Management: Manage application settings through angular.json.

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📜 Common CLI Commands

Here are some commonly used Angular CLI commands:

ng new my-app             # Creates a new Angular project
ng serve                  # Compiles and serves the app locally
ng generate component xyz # Creates a new component
ng build                  # Builds the app for production
ng test                   # Runs unit tests
ng e2e                    # Runs end-to-end tests
ng lint                   # Lints the codebase
ng add <package>          # Adds a new library or feature to the project
ng update                 # Updates Angular and its dependencies
ng deploy                 # Deploys the app to a hosting service

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🛠️ Advanced CLI Features

1. Customizing Builds

You can customize the build process using the angular.json file. For example, you can add global styles, scripts, or environment-specific configurations.

"build": {
  "options": {
    "outputPath": "dist/my-app",
    "styles": ["src/styles.css"],
    "scripts": ["src/custom-script.js"]
  }
}

2. Adding Features

The ng add command allows you to easily integrate libraries or features into your project. For example:

ng add @angular/material  # Adds Angular Material to your project

3. Running in Different Environments

You can specify different environments (e.g., development, production) using the --configuration flag:

ng build --configuration=production
ng serve --configuration=development

4. Generating Code

Angular CLI can generate boilerplate code for various Angular building blocks:

ng generate component my-component   # Generates a new component
ng generate service my-service       # Generates a new service
ng generate module my-module         # Generates a new module

5. Testing

Run unit tests or end-to-end tests with ease:

ng test   # Runs unit tests
ng e2e    # Runs end-to-end tests

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🌟 Benefits of Using Angular CLI

• Consistency: Ensures a consistent project structure and coding standards.
• Efficiency: Automates repetitive tasks, saving time and effort.
• Best Practices: Encourages the use of Angular’s recommended practices.
• Scalability: Simplifies the management of large-scale applications.

Angular CLI is an essential tool for Angular developers, providing a streamlined development experience and enabling the creation of high-quality applications.

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