What is Angular?

Angular CLI

Angular CLI (Command Line Interface) is a powerful tool for setting up, developing, scaffolding, and managing Angular applications. It includes a set of commands for streamlining the development process and automating repetitive tasks. Some examples of usual Angular CLI commands are:

• ng generate
• ng new
• ng build
• ng serve
• ng test
• ng update
• ng deploy
• ng doc

Core Concepts of Angular

• Component: The core building unit of an Angular application's UI, consisting of a view (template), logic (class), and styling.
• Directive: A setof instructions that enhance the functionality of an HTML element by manipulating the DOM based on specifications.
• Module: A unified block of code that organizes components, directives, pipelines, and services.
• Routing: Routing is the system that governs how the program responds to various URL pathways, deciding which component to display.
• Class: A class is a blueprint for building objects with properties (data) and methods (actions).
• Pipe: A function that modifies data before rendering it in an Angular template.
• Service: A reusable class that provides business logic and data access capability to components.
• Enum: A collection of named constant values that represent a fixed set of possibilities, improving code readability.

Features of Angular

The Features of Angular are explained as follows:

• Cross-Platform: Angular applications may be deployed across multiple platforms, including the web, mobile native apps, and desktop apps.

• Improved Dependency Injection: Dependency injection is a mechanism for introducing dependencies into a component or service. Angular simplifies dependency injection, making it easier to develop maintainable code.

• Improved Data Binding: Angular employs two-way data binding, which automatically synchronizes model data with the view. This makes development easier and eliminates the need to write a lot of boilerplate code.

• Improved Browser Support: Angular is compatible with the most recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer 11.

• Mobile Development: Angular may be used to create cross-platform mobile applications with frameworks such as Ionic.

• TypeScript: Angular apps are written in TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript with optional static typing. TypeScript helps to detect mistakes early in the development process and makes code more maintainable.

• Routing: Routing is the method for switching between views in an Angular application. Angular includes a built-in router that makes it simple to design routes and manage navigation events.

• Directives: Directives are DOM element markers that change the behavior of the DOM or a component. Angular includes several pre-built directives, as well as the ability to construct your own.

Configuration to get started with Angular

To start building Angular applications, you need to set up your development environment properly. Here’s a simple step-by-step configuration guide:

1. Install Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager)

• Download and install the latest stable version of Node.js from https://nodejs.org.
• npm comes bundled with Node.js and is required to install Angular CLI.

2. Install Angular CLI (Command Line Interface)

• Open your terminal or command prompt.
• Run the following command:

npm install -g @angular/cli

• This installs Angular CLI globally so you can create and manage Angular projects easily.

3. Create a New Angular Project

• To create a new project, run:

ng new your-project-name

• The CLI will ask you some setup questions (like routing and stylesheet format). Choose based on your need.

4. Navigate into the Project Folder

 cd your-project-name

5. Serve the Application

• Start the Angular development server by running:

ng serve

• Then open your browser and go to: http://localhost:4200. 
• You will see your Angular app running!

Conclusion

In conclusion, Angular is a powerful framework that helps you build fast, dynamic, and single-page web applications. It offers useful features like components, services, and routing, making development easier and more organized. With support from Google and a strong community, Angular is a great choice for modern web development.