Introduction to Angular

Chapter 1: Introduction to Angular

Overview of Angular framework:
Angular is a powerful JavaScript framework developed by Google for building modern web applications. It follows the component-based architecture, where the application is composed of reusable and self-contained components. Angular provides a comprehensive set of tools and features for creating robust and scalable applications, including two-way data binding, dependency injection, routing, and powerful templating capabilities.

Setting up the development environment:
To start developing Angular applications, you need to set up your development environment. Follow these steps:

1. Install Node.js and npm:
   • Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that allows you to run JavaScript code outside of a web browser. Visit the official Node.js website (https://nodejs.org) and download the latest stable version suitable for your operating system. The installation package includes npm, the Node.js package manager.
2. Install Angular CLI:
   • Angular CLI (Command Line Interface) is a powerful tool that helps with project scaffolding, building, and testing Angular applications. Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command to install Angular CLI globally:

npm install -g @angular/cli

3. Verify the installation:
   • After installing Angular CLI, you can verify the installation by running the following command:

ng --version

• This command will display the version of Angular CLI and other related packages installed on your system.

Creating your first Angular application:
Now that your development environment is set up, let’s create your first Angular application.

1. Generate a new Angular project:

• Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where you want to create your project.
• Run the following command to generate a new Angular project:

ng new my-angular-app

• This will create a new directory called “my-angular-app” with the basic project structure and necessary configuration files.

Understanding the project structure:
An Angular project follows a specific structure that organizes the codebase and separates concerns. Let’s explore the key files and directories in an Angular project.

• e2e/: This directory contains end-to-end tests for your application using the Protractor testing framework.
• node_modules/: This directory contains all the dependencies installed for your project. It is created automatically when you run npm install.
• src/: This directory contains the source code of your application, including components, services, and other files.
• src/app/: This directory is the root directory for your application’s components, services, and modules.
  • src/app/app.component.ts and src/app/app.component.html: These files define the root component of your application. The TypeScript file (app.component.ts) contains the component logic, while the HTML file (app.component.html) contains the component’s template.
  • src/app/app.module.ts: This file defines the root module of your application. It imports and configures components, services, and other modules.
• src/assets/: This directory is used to store static assets such as images, fonts, or CSS files.
• src/environments/: This directory contains environment-specific configuration files. By default, there are two files: environment.ts for the development environment and environment.prod.ts for the production environment.
• angular.json: This file contains the configuration for Angular CLI, including project settings, build options, and other configurations.
• package.json: This file specifies the dependencies and scripts for your project. It is automatically generated when you run ng new and updated when you install new packages using npm.
• tsconfig.json: This file contains TypeScript configuration options for your project.
• tslint.json: This file contains linting rules and configurations for TypeScript code.

This is a high-level overview of the project structure in an Angular application. As you progress with your development, you’ll create additional components, services, and modules, which will be organized within the src/app/ directory.

In the next chapters, we’ll dive deeper into Angular concepts, explore more advanced topics, and build a complete Angular application from scratch.