Angular is a popular front-end development framework that is widely used to build complex web applications. Setting up your PC for Angular development can be a challenging task for beginners, as it involves installing and configuring multiple tools and dependencies. In this article, I will guide you through the process of setting up your PC for Angular development.

Step 1: Install Node.js

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that is used to execute JavaScript code outside of a web browser. Angular requires Node.js to be installed on your PC to run its development server and to manage its dependencies.

To install Node.js, visit the official website at https://nodejs.org/ and download the latest version for your operating system. Or a compatible version of node js based on which version of Angular you will be using for development. Refer to my next article to know the node js and Angular version compatibility. Once the download is complete, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install Node.js on your PC.

Step 2: Install Angular CLI

Angular CLI is a command-line interface that is used to generate new Angular projects, create components, services, and other artifacts, and to manage Angular dependencies. To install Angular CLI, open your terminal or command prompt and type the following command:

npm install -g @angular/cli

This will install the latest version of Angular CLI globally on your PC.

If you want to install a specific version of angular then you can add the version number at the end of the above command prefixed with @ symbol. You can refer to the below example.

npm install -g @angular/cli@12.0.2

Step 3: Install a Code Editor

To write Angular code, you need a code editor that supports JavaScript and TypeScript. There are several popular code editors available, including Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, and Atom.

I recommend using Visual Studio Code, which is a free and open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. To install Visual Studio Code, visit the official website at https://code.visualstudio.com/ and download the latest version for your operating system. Once the download is complete, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install Visual Studio Code on your PC.

Step 4: Create a New Angular Project

Now that you have installed all the necessary tools and dependencies, it's time to create a new Angular project. Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where you want to create your project. Then type the following command:

ng new hello-world-app

This will create a new Angular project called "hello-world-app" in the current directory. Angular CLI will automatically install all the necessary dependencies and generate the initial project structure.

Step 5: Start the Development Server

To start the development server, navigate to your project directory and type the following command:

cd hello-world-app
ng serve

This will start the development server and open your project in a web browser at http://localhost:4200/. Any changes you make to your code will be automatically reloaded in the browser.

Step 6: Start Coding

Congratulations, you have successfully set up your PC for Angular development! You can now start coding your Angular project using your favourite code editor. To create new components, services, and other artifacts, use the Angular CLI commands, such as:

ng generate component my-first-component
ng generate service my-first-service

These commands will generate new files and add them to your project's structure.

While generating the project, the project directory is also initialized with git. So, you can always configure it with your remote repository in GitHub and push your code anytime.

Conclusion

Setting up your PC for Angular development can be a challenging task, but by following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to get up and running quickly. Once you have set up your development environment, you can start building powerful and complex web applications using Angular. Good luck!