How to Create Angular Components in VS Code

Components are the building blocks of Angular projects, and generating them can be straightforward. This article will first demonstrate how to generate components using the Angular CLI, and then show how you can streamline the process using a simple VS Code extension.

Setting Up Your Angular Environment

First, open a new terminal within VS Code. You can do this from the VS Code toolbar by selecting Terminal -> New Terminal. Using the integrated terminal keeps everything tidy and centralized.

Installing the Angular CLI Globally

To install the Angular CLI, use npm:

npm install -g @angular/cli@latest

Creating a New Angular Project

If you don’t already have an Angular project set up, you can create one:

ng new generate-component-demo-project

Make sure to navigate to the project root if you already have a project:

cd generate-component-demo-project

Generate the Component using Angular CLI

To create a new component, navigate to the folder where you want the new component to be situated. If you have a deep folder structure, a tip is to use cd and drag the folder from the VS Code Explorer into the terminal. Once you’re in the desired folder, use the CLI’s generate command followed by component and the new component’s name:

ng generate component new-component-name

The CLI will create a new folder called new-component-name containing an HTML, CSS, TypeScript, and spec.ts file.

Generate the component Using Angular Files Extension in VS Code

For those who don’t want to memorize the CLI commands and are more into a GUI approach there are several VS Code extensions out there to help you generate components. The Angular Files is for instance an excellent tool.

Installing Angular Files Extension

Install the extension by searching for “Angular Files” in the VS Code Extensions marketplace and click install.

Creating a Component with Angular Files

After installation, simply right-click on the folder where you want to add a new component, select “Generate Component,” and type in the name of the new component.

Easy! Both methods offer effective ways to generate Angular components, whether you prefer using the command line or a GUI. Experiment with both to find which method best fits your development style.