How to Update Angular Projects to the Latest Version ?

Angular is a JavaScript framework for building web applications. It is developed and maintained by Google and is used for building complex and feature-rich web applications. Angular uses a component-based architecture, which makes it easy to build and maintain large-scale applications.

Updating an Angular project means upgrading the version of Angular used in the project to the latest version. This can include updating the Angular packages and dependencies, modifying the project’s configuration files, updating imports and exports, and making any necessary code changes. Updating to the latest version ensures that the project benefits from the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches provided by the Angular team. This process is also important to keep the project in line with the latest best practices and standards.

There are several ways to update an Angular project to the latest version, including the following:

1. ng update command: This command updates your project’s dependencies, and modifies your project’s configuration files and code to align with the latest version of Angular. For example, to update your project to the latest version of Angular, you can use the following command:

ng update @angular/core

Using the ng-update command updates the entire project and its dependencies to align with the latest version of Angular. It updates the Angular packages and modifies the project’s configuration files and codes to align with the latest version of Angular. It also takes care of updating the necessary configuration files, updating the imports and exports, and making any necessary code changes.

2. Using Migration schematics: This is a new feature in Angular 9+ that allows you to update your code base to the latest version of Angular by running a set of schematics. For example, you can use the following command to update your project from version 9 to version 10:

ng update @angular/core@10

Using Migration schematics specifically updates the codebase using a set of schematics provided by the Angular team. It’s more focused on updating the codebase to align with the latest version of Angular, rather than updating the entire project and dependencies. This method is recommended when you have a complex project and you want to update it in a more controlled way.

The main difference between the first way (using the ng update command) and the second way (using Migration schematics) of updating an Angular project is the Scope of the update. In summary, the first way (ng update) is recommended if you want a more automated process, and you want to update the entire project and its dependencies. The second way (Migration schematics) is recommended if you have a complex project and you want to update it in a more controlled way, and you want to update the codebase specifically.

3. Manually updating dependencies: This involves updating the version of Angular in your project’s package.json file and running npm install or yarn to update the dependencies. For example, if you wanted to update your project to Angular version 11.0.0, you would change the version of Angular in your package.json file, and then run npm install or yarn to update the dependencies. The project directory of an angular project looks something similar to this:

Now, open the package.json file and update the angular/core version to 11.0.0

"dependencies": {
    "@angular/core": "11.0.0"
}

In the terminal run:

npm install

4. Using the Angular Update Guide: This is a step-by-step guide provided by the Angular team that helps you update your project to the latest version. The guide is available on the Angular website and provides detailed instructions on how to update your project,  including information on breaking changes, deprecated features, and recommended code modifications. It also provides an overview of the update process and the steps required to update your project to the latest version. The guide is designed to be used in conjunction with the ng update command and manual updates, providing additional information and guidance to help ensure a smooth update process.

For instance, if you want to update your project to Angular version 11, you would follow the steps outlined in the Angular Update Guide for version 11. This might include steps such as updating the version of Angular in your project’s package.json file, running ng update to update your project’s dependencies, and making any necessary code changes as outlined in the guide.

Note: It’s important to note that the guide is version-specific, and you should use the guide that corresponds to the version you are updating to.

• Using a tool like ngx-update:  This way of updating an Angular project is using a third-party tool such as ngx-update. This tool automates the process of updating Angular projects, making it easier and less error-prone. The ngx-update is a command-line tool that can update your project to the latest version of Angular, including updating the Angular packages and dependencies and making any necessary code changes. It also provides a detailed report of the update process, including any breaking changes, deprecated features, and recommended code modifications.

For example, to update your project to the latest version of Angular using ngx-update, you can use the following command:

ng add ngx-update

Once you have added the package, you can run the following command to update to the latest version of Angular:

ng update-all

The ngx-update tool also provides a range of additional commands, such as ng update-check which will check if there are any updates available.

Note: It’s important to note that using third-party tools like ngx-update can be useful, but it’s always good to double-check the update process and the changes made by the tool, as it is less common and might have less support than the official way.