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HomeBlogWeb DevelopmentHow to Build a Library for Angular Apps? [Step-by-Step Guide]
Have you ever played with Legos? Imagine building a Lego structure. You have all the necessary bricks, but something's missing. Maybe you need a specific shape or piece that isn't available in the current set. But wait! You can actually create your custom brick to fill that gap and make your structure even more unique.
Similar is the case when working with Angular; you might encounter situations where you need some reusable components, handy services, or specific functionalities that aren't readily available. But you can build your own Angular libraries to fill those gaps and even share them with the world. Sounds exciting, right? Think of it as a special Lego brick containing all the essential code you need, ready to use in your project. In this blog, I’ll take you through a step-by-step guide on creating, building, and using the Angular library.
In this article, we are going to talk about Libraries in Angular 13 and how to build a library for angular apps. We will be covering the following topics in the blog:
A library is a collection of precompiled routines that a program can use. Similarly, Angular libraries serve as modular sets of code that enable the encapsulation and reuse of functionality across diverse Angular projects. In other words, Angular libraries are crucial tools for developers seeking to enhance code organization, maintainability, and reusability in Angular projects.
Angular 13 is the latest version of the Angular family. Angular applications are basically designed for single-page applications, where all controls are required in single-page architecture. Angular is an application-based design framework, which provides the Cross-Platform development environment for creating the most sophisticated Single Page Applications (SPAs). These SPAs are efficient enough to give us a component to view the model environment, making it an MVC or MVVM application.
Angular provides a Progressive Web App architecture, which means that an application made in Angular gives us an App-like experience with high performance. Angular has zero-step installation, making its up-gradation using modern web capabilities possible, even if offline. Angular has the capability of making a cross-platform Desktop App that can be created using MAC, Windows, or Linux OS using the same Angular methods. Angular can be rendered in Node.js, Microsoft .Net, PHP, and many other servers by giving the output in HTML-CSS format. This even optimizes the App for SEO. Angular framework turns our templates into JavaScript Virtual machine codes which are highly optimized. With Angular CLI, the Command-Line tools, we can build and deploy Apps faster than ever before. Angular uses Karma for unit tests and Protractor for scenario tests making the applications made in Angular more stable. Check out the Full Stack Developer online course for more information. Know more about angular cli.
According to angular.io, some of the features worth mentioning are:
1. DEVELOP ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS
2. SPEED & PERFORMANCE
3. INCREDIBLE TOOLING
4. LOVED BY MILLIONS
A Library in Angular App is a reusable code that determines Angular components, services, or projects meant to be called by other projects. These projects are like a normal application. The only difference these have over Angular applications is that these projects cannot execute on their own. We need to import these projects to use them.
We make libraries to solve some generic issues like the unified user interface or data presentation or data entry issues. Angular developers create these libraries for such general-purpose solutions. Later these libraries can be adapted in different applications for re-usage of the solution.
An Angular Library can be built as an Angular application, later published as an npm package. These npm packages can be shared with different applications deploying the libraries.
Libraries can be published as third-party libraries or Angular Team libraries.
Some of the examples are:
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Let us build a Library in Angular App step-by-step:
Step 1: Install Node.js:
Step 2: Use npm to Install Angular CLI
npm install -g @angular/cli
Or
npm install -g @angular/cli@latest
Or
Step 3: Create an app called ngApp4Library
Syntax:
ng new app_name C:\>ng new ngApp4Library
It asks for
Would you like to add Angular routing? Yes
Which stylesheet format would you like to use?
> CSS
….
Step 4: Generate Library via CLI:
Syntax: for creating a Library
ng generate library <name> [options] ng g library <name> [options]
ng generate library my-lb
Step 5: Edit the library ts file: Give a functionality to your library
As you can see our library has its own module, service, and component. We can add more components, services, directives, pipes, and modules as per our needs.
The Library file that we need to edit is my-lib. It appears in the folder C:\Users\ISHU\Desktop -> ngApp4Library -> projects -> my-lib -> src -> lib. The file to be edited is: my-lib.component.ts
Add the following code:
![How to Build a Library for Angular Apps? [Step-by-Step Guide]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd2o2utebsixu4k.cloudfront.net%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2Fd16d49f7-5194-4aa9-bad0-6d0e66f3cb69.png&w=1920&q=75)
import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
@Component({
selector: 'lib-my-lib',
template: `
<form method="post">
<div >
<label for = "username"> <b> Username: </b> </label>
<input type = "text" placeholder = "Enter Username here" name = "username" style = "margin:10px;" required>
<br/>
<label for = "passwd"> <b> Password: </b> </label>
<input type = "password" placeholder = "Enter Password here" name = "passwd" style = "margin:10px;" required>
<br/>
<button type = "submit"> Login </button>
</div>
</form>
`,
styles: [
]
})
export class MyLibComponent implements OnInit {
constructor() { }
ngOnInit(): void {
}
}Creating a New Library
1. Build the library and consume it in the same application:
ng build <library name>
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { AppRoutingModule } from './app-routing.module';
import { AppComponent } from './app.component';
import { MyLibModule } from 'my-lib';
@NgModule({
declarations: [
AppComponent
],
imports: [
BrowserModule,
AppRoutingModule,
MyLibModule
],
providers: [],
bootstrap: [AppComponent]
})
export class AppModule { }<lib-my-lib></lib-my-lib>
2. Rebuild the library and consume it from some other application:
We go through the following steps to implement the Library into another project:
Step 1:
ng build <library name>
ng new ngAppClient
App.module.ts:
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { AppRoutingModule } from './app-routing.module';
import { AppComponent } from './app.component';
import { MyLibModule } from 'my-lib';
@NgModule({
declarations: [
AppComponent
],
imports: [
BrowserModule,
AppRoutingModule,
MyLibModule
],
providers: [],
bootstrap: [AppComponent]
})
export class AppModule { }
<lib-my-lib></lib-my-lib>
ng serve.
ng serve --port 5200
We publish the library to make the library available on npm. For publishing the library, all we need to do is create a production build, and then run npm publish command from the library project’s dist directory.
The Syntax is as follows:
ng build <library name> --prod cd dist/<library name> npm publish
Here the Library project is ngApp4library, and the library is my-lib, so we run the following commands:
ng build my-lib --prod cd dist/my-lib npm publish
If you have not published anything before, you will need to create an npm account first and log in into your npm account and then publish your library.
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Angular Libraries are very useful in case we want to re-use components, services, modules, etc. in our application. We just need to add the published library in our project, and that’s it, the components, modules, services, are all ready to be used in the application.
To create a library, we generate it by “ng generate” command, built it by “ng build” command, publish by “npm publish” command. To use a library we install it by “ng i “ command.
These libraries are essentially pre-built components, like windows and doors, that you can "plug and play" into your Angular applications. Instead of writing code from scratch, you can simply import existing libraries and use them immediately.
Angular libraries find applications in a variety of scenarios, offering benefits such as
Code Reusability: Share common components and services across multiple projects, reducing redundancy. In other words, think about all the common features used across different applications, like navigation bars, login forms, or fancy buttons. Instead of writing these features every time, you can store them in a library and reuse them across projects. It's like having a box of building blocks that you can easily assemble into different creations!
Maintainability: It helps to centralize code updates in the library, making it easier to manage and enhance functionality. Think of it this way, imagine updating a specific feature in multiple projects manually. Sounds like a nightmare, doesn't it? With libraries, you only need to update the code in one place, and the changes automatically apply across all projects using that library. It's like having a remote control for your house, where changing one setting affects all the lights at once!
Collaboration: Building software is often a team effort. By using shared libraries, everyone works with the same components and standards. This promotes consistency and it makes it simpler for different developers to collaborate on the same project. It's like having a shared language that everyone understands, making communication and teamwork quite easy!
Here are a few real-world examples where Angular libraries can be beneficial.
Example 1: If you're working on multiple Angular projects, and you want to maintain consistency in the UI components across these projects then you can create a shared UI components library.
Example 2: Imagine that you have multiple Angular projects that require authentication. You want to maintain a consistent authentication mechanism.
Example 3: Let’s say that you want to create a reusable feature module for handling file uploads.
Step 3: Library Usage (In Angular):
In conclusion, the to create angular libraries and utilize them are instrumental in building scalable, maintainable, and collaborative projects. Using libraries doesn't just save time and effort; it also improves the quality of your code. Libraries are typically well-tested and documented, ensuring reliability and stability in your applications.
This tutorial on how to create a library in Angular helps you with the knowledge to initiate, develop, build, and share Angular libraries effectively. Whether you're an experienced developer or just starting out, Angular Libraries will always be handy. They offer a powerful way to share code, improve maintainability, and make collaboration a breeze. You can embrace the power of Angular libraries to streamline your development process, enhance code quality, and contribute to the robust Angular ecosystem. Happy coding!
The "projects" folder in an Angular library is like the engine room of the whole operation. Think of it as the tool drawer in the kitchen which contains all the necessary tools, similarly, the "projects" folder contains different projects for specific purposes:
All of these projects work together in harmony to build something amazing. You can also say that the “projects folder is the powerhouse where your libraries come to life.”
To add components, services, or other features to your Angular library:
First of all choose the feature type (component, service, etc). Once it is decided you can generate all the necessary files using Angular CLI.
Now write the code for your chosen feature. Once you've written your code, you need to export it from its respective module so other parts of your library can access it. Use the export keyword to make your components, services, pipes, directives, or other features available for import. Then import and use your feature in other parts of your library. Use frameworks like Jest or Jasmine to write your unit tests.
Yes, you can use third-party libraries in your angular library. In fact, using third-party libraries in your Angular library can be a great way to save time and effort.
There are several advantages as well:
However, there are a few things you should keep in mind while using third-party libraries:
| Name | Date | Fee | Know more |
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