Concise list of Angular essentials

Leader posted 1 min read

The foundational concepts, tools, and best practices you need to know to be productive with Angular, whether you're a beginner or brushing up.


Angular Essentials

1. TypeScript

Angular is built on TypeScript. Understanding TS features like interfaces, classes, types, and decorators is fundamental.


2. Modules (NgModule)

  • Organize app features.
  • Root module = AppModule.
  • Feature modules for separation of concerns.
@NgModule({
  declarations: [...],
  imports: [...],
  providers: [],
  bootstrap: [AppComponent],
})
export class AppModule {}

3. Components

  • Core building blocks of UI.
  • Use the @Component decorator.
  • Must declare them in a module.
@Component({
  selector: 'app-hello',
  templateUrl: './hello.component.html',
})
export class HelloComponent {}

4. Templates & Data Binding

  • {{}} interpolation
  • [property] binding
  • (event) binding
  • [(ngModel)] two-way binding

5. Directives and blocks

  • Structural: *ngIf, *ngFor
  • Attribute: [ngClass], [ngStyle]
  • Custom directives with @Directive
  • @if, @for, @switch

6. Services & Dependency Injection

  • Business logic & API calls go here.
  • Reusable and testable logic.
  • Inject with constructor-based DI.
@Injectable({ providedIn: 'root' })
export class ApiService {
  constructor(private http: HttpClient) {}
}

7. Routing & Navigation

  • Define routes in RouterModule.
  • Handle dynamic params, guards, lazy loading.
const routes: Routes = [
  { path: 'home', component: HomeComponent },
];

8. HTTP Client

  • Use HttpClientModule for API calls.
  • Supports observables.
this.http.get('/api/data').subscribe(data => ...);

9. Forms (Template-Driven & Reactive)

  • Template-driven: ngModel, simple forms
  • Reactive: FormBuilder, Validators, reactive patterns

10. Lifecycle Hooks

  • ngOnInit, ngOnDestroy, ngOnChanges, etc.
  • Useful for subscriptions, timers, cleanup.

11. Pipes

  • Format data in templates (| date, | uppercase)
  • Create custom pipes for custom formatting

12. Testing (Jest or Karma + Jasmine)

  • Use TestBed for unit/component tests
  • Mock services and inputs

Recommended Tools

  • Angular CLI (ng new, ng serve, etc.)
  • Angular DevTools (Chrome Extension)
  • ESLint + Prettier
  • VSCode Angular Snippets

Best Practices

  • Use lazy loading for feature modules
  • Structure folders by feature, not type
  • Avoid logic in templates
  • Strongly type everything
  • Use RxJS for reactive patterns

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