How To Check, Install and Update Angular on Your System.

Angular, powered by the Angular CLI (Command Line Interface), is a robust platform for building scalable web applications. The CLI is your essential tool, allowing you to scaffold, develop, test, and deploy your Angular projects right from your command shell. As an Angular Expert, I'll guide you through the crucial steps of managing the Angular CLI on your system: checking the current version, installing it for the first time, and keeping it up-to-date.

Prerequisites: The Node.js and npm Foundation

Before you can work with the Angular CLI, you must have Node.js and its package manager, npm (Node Package Manager), installed on your system. Angular CLI is an npm package and uses Node.js to run its tooling outside the browser.

Check Your Node.js and npm Versions

Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following commands:

Step 1: Check Node.js version:

node -v

Step 2: Check npm version:

npm -v

Angular typically requires an active LTS (Long Term Support) or maintenance LTS version of Node.js. If you don't have Node.js or if your version is outdated, visit the official Node.js website to download and install the latest LTS version.

How to Check Your Angular CLI Version.

Knowing your current Angular CLI version is the first step to ensuring you are working with the expected features and compatibility.

Check Global Angular CLI Version.

The most straightforward way to check your globally installed Angular CLI version is to use the ng version command in your terminal.

ng version
# or
ng v

Example Output:

The output will display the versions of the Angular CLI, Node.js, and several key Angular packages (if run inside an Angular project, it will show project-specific versions as well).

Check Project-Specific Angular Version

If you are inside an Angular project folder, running ng version will give you a detailed breakdown of the Angular packages installed locally in that project (e.g., @angular/core, @angular/common, etc.). This is important because a project's local dependencies can sometimes differ from your global CLI version. You can also inspect the package.json file in your project root to see all your Angular dependency versions.

How To Install the Angular CLI.

If you've never installed the Angular CLI before, you'll need to install it globally using npm. This makes the ng command available from any location in your command line.

Execute the following command in your terminal:

npm install -g @angular/cli

• npm install: The command to install npm packages.
• -g: The flag for installing the package globally.
• @angular/cli: The name of the Angular CLI package.

While generally not recommended unless you have a specific requirement, you can install a particular major version of the CLI by appending the version number:

npm install -g @angular/cli@17
# This will install the latest available version in the Angular v17 line

After the installation completes, run the check command again to verify that the latest CLI has been successfully installed:

ng version

How To Update Angular (CLI and Project).

The Angular team frequently releases new versions, often including performance improvements, new features, and bug fixes. Keeping both your global Angular CLI and your Angular project packages up-to-date is best practice.

To get the latest global version of the CLI, simply re-run the install command, optionally specifying the @latest tag:

npm install -g @angular/cli@latest

This command will uninstall the old global version and install the most recent stable release.

Note: While updating you might get a warning message show below. We usualy get this warning when your Node.Js version is not matching with latest required of Angular. You need to install the updated version of Node.Js in your system to fix this error.

Update Local Project Packages.

Updating your Angular project itself is slightly more complex, especially when jumping between major versions (e.g., from Angular 16 to Angular 17). Angular provides a powerful command, ng update, designed to automate this process.

1. Check for Available Updates: The first step is to see what updates are available for your current project:

ng update

This command lists packages that have available updates, along with a recommendation on which packages to update first.

2. Run the Primary Update: For major versions, it is recommended to update the core packages (@angular/core and @angular/cli) first:

ng update @angular/core @angular/cli

The ng update command is smart: it updates packages and runs migration schematics to automatically update your code to match the new APIs and conventions, minimizing manual effort.

3. Update Other Dependencies: After updating the core packages, you may need to update other libraries and tools, such as Angular Material or other third-party libraries:

ng update @angular/material

Pro Tip: For a detailed, step-by-step guide tailored to your specific current and target versions, always consult the official Angular Update Guide on the Angular website. It provides customized instructions and highlights manual changes that may be necessary, especially for major version upgrades (e.g., from v15 to v17).

Conclusion.

The Angular CLI is a cornerstone of the Angular development experience. By mastering the simple commands to check (ng version), install (npm install -g @angular/cli), and update (ng update), you ensure your development environment is modern, efficient, and ready to leverage the latest features Angular has to offer.