Have you ever tried to figure out the local, global and the latest Angular CLI version simultaneously?
Do you always forget how to set Angular CLI default package manager and always had to google it?
Are you tired of typing all these long npm commands to list the Angular CLI npm package information?
I believe every Angular developer has gone through this sort of routine. Having to type all these long commands every time you need to inspect Angular projects, especially those that have been unmaintained for some time.
Being located at the Angular project directory you have the only way to figure out the Global Angular CLI version by opening another terminal window or step out of the current Angular working directory. And this is counterproductive. Imagine there is a magic command to prompt the Global Angular CLI version anytime no matter what your current working directory is. Wouldn't that be better?
Sometimes you want to know more than the global version, say, the latest or a particular version or any other information about the Angular CLI npm package. In this case you have to type all these long commands, but first to remember them by heart or save them somewhere as a snippet or alias. But if you change your working machine or want to help your colleague you need to bring your memory or aliases with you. Imagine you have a npm module always available so anyone can pull it up and just run all these magic shortcuts without typing a long command.
You've probably been in the situation when you want to update your project to the latest or downgrade to any specific Angular version. In order to do so you have to check the Angular compatibility list or use angular-cli-diff optionally. In that case you will end up googling these urls or pulling them from your bookmarks and fiddling around multiple terminal and browser windows. What if you're using someone else's machine to do that….oh man… Imagine, there is a better way to navigate across all these things.
Most likely you want to generate a new Angular project using Angular CLI without typing long npm commands and installing Angular CLI first.
Let me introduce you to a solution for all of these use-cases and even more!
npm install -g ngvm
NGVM is your great companion to deal with Angular project maintenance and to analyze the current Angular project. It has a list of useful commands that are developed to save your day. Now, you can even set the default package manager or print out global, local and latest Angular CLI versions with a single command!
Here are some commands to manage Angular versions:
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
install|i |
Install a specific version of Angular CLI. By default it will install the latest version |
uninstall|u |
Uninstall the global or local Angular CLI |
new|n |
Create a new Angular application. You can use the global Angular CLI or NPX. You can specify any existing Angular CLI version |
latest |
Print out the latest Angular CLI version available on NPM |
global |
Print out the global Angular CLI version |
local |
Print out the local Angular CLI version |
versions|vs |
Print out the global, local and latest Angular CLI versions |
inspect |
Print out Angular CLI, Angular, NodeJS, TypeScript, RxJS versions and more info about current working directory |
list|ls |
List of all Angular CLI releases available on NPM |
show [version] |
Check information about a particular Angular CLI version released on NPM. By default, the latest version is shown |
pkgmgr|pm |
Print out or set local or global Angular CLI default package manager |
compat |
Navigate to the Angular CLI, Angular, NodeJs, TypeScript, RxJS compatibility list |
diff [options] [v1] [v2] |
Compare the difference between Angular CLI versions. You can specify any existing versions. By default local version will be diffed with the latest |
To list all available NGVM commands run ngvm --help.
NGVM is a result of our hands-on experience and understanding of the challenges faced by dev teams on a daily basis. A tool like this is highly required and improves our own processes while working on providing services like Technical Audit or Upgrade Strategy.
Therefore we decided to make NGVM fully open sourced. This is our contribution to further growth of Angular framework and advance of Angular community. Hopefully using the product you may feel as a part of the Angular Consulting team.
Check the source code here. ⭐ the repo if you like it! In case you have a suggestion how to improve it, feel free to raise an issue or start a discussion.
