Angular Component

Angular Component

Create standalone components for Angular v20+. Components are standalone by default—do NOT set standalone: true.

Component Structure

import { Component, ChangeDetectionStrategy, input, output, computed } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-user-card',
  changeDetection: ChangeDetectionStrategy.OnPush,
  host: {
    'class': 'user-card',
    '[class.active]': 'isActive()',
    '(click)': 'handleClick()',
  },
  template: `
    <img [src]="avatarUrl()" [alt]="name() + ' avatar'" />
    <h2>{{ name() }}</h2>
    @if (showEmail()) {
      <p>{{ email() }}</p>
    }
  `,
  styles: `
    :host { display: block; }
    :host.active { border: 2px solid blue; }
  `,
})
export class UserCard {
  // Required input
  name = input.required<string>();
  
  // Optional input with default
  email = input<string>('');
  showEmail = input(false);
  
  // Input with transform
  isActive = input(false, { transform: booleanAttribute });
  
  // Computed from inputs
  avatarUrl = computed(() => `https://api.example.com/avatar/${this.name()}`);
  
  // Output
  selected = output<string>();
  
  handleClick() {
    this.selected.emit(this.name());
  }
}

Signal Inputs

// Required - must be provided by parent
name = input.required<string>();

// Optional with default value
count = input(0);

// Optional without default (undefined allowed)
label = input<string>();

// With alias for template binding
size = input('medium', { alias: 'buttonSize' });

// With transform function
disabled = input(false, { transform: booleanAttribute });
value = input(0, { transform: numberAttribute });

Signal Outputs

import { output, outputFromObservable } from '@angular/core';

// Basic output
clicked = output<void>();
selected = output<Item>();

// With alias
valueChange = output<number>({ alias: 'change' });

// From Observable (for RxJS interop)
scroll$ = new Subject<number>();
scrolled = outputFromObservable(this.scroll$);

// Emit values
this.clicked.emit();
this.selected.emit(item);

Host Bindings

Use the host object in @Component—do NOT use @HostBinding or @HostListener decorators.

@Component({
  selector: 'app-button',
  host: {
    // Static attributes
    'role': 'button',
    
    // Dynamic class bindings
    '[class.primary]': 'variant() === "primary"',
    '[class.disabled]': 'disabled()',
    
    // Dynamic style bindings
    '[style.--btn-color]': 'color()',
    
    // Attribute bindings
    '[attr.aria-disabled]': 'disabled()',
    '[attr.tabindex]': 'disabled() ? -1 : 0',
    
    // Event listeners
    '(click)': 'onClick($event)',
    '(keydown.enter)': 'onClick($event)',
    '(keydown.space)': 'onClick($event)',
  },
  template: `<ng-content />`,
})
export class Button {
  variant = input<'primary' | 'secondary'>('primary');
  disabled = input(false, { transform: booleanAttribute });
  color = input('#007bff');
  
  clicked = output<void>();
  
  onClick(event: Event) {
    if (!this.disabled()) {
      this.clicked.emit();
    }
  }
}

Content Projection

@Component({
  selector: 'app-card',
  template: `
    <header>
      <ng-content select="[card-header]" />
    </header>
    <main>
      <ng-content />
    </main>
    <footer>
      <ng-content select="[card-footer]" />
    </footer>
  `,
})
export class Card {}

// Usage:
// <app-card>
//   <h2 card-header>Title</h2>
//   <p>Main content</p>
//   <button card-footer>Action</button>
// </app-card>

Lifecycle Hooks

import { OnDestroy, OnInit, afterNextRender, afterRender } from '@angular/core';

export class My implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
  constructor() {
    // For DOM manipulation after render (SSR-safe)
    afterNextRender(() => {
      // Runs once after first render
    });

    afterRender(() => {
      // Runs after every render
    });
  }

  ngOnInit() { /* Component initialized */ }
  ngOnDestroy() { /* Cleanup */ }
}

Accessibility Requirements

Components MUST:

• Pass AXE accessibility checks
• Meet WCAG AA standards
• Include proper ARIA attributes for interactive elements
• Support keyboard navigation
• Maintain visible focus indicators

@Component({
  selector: 'app-toggle',
  host: {
    'role': 'switch',
    '[attr.aria-checked]': 'checked()',
    '[attr.aria-label]': 'label()',
    'tabindex': '0',
    '(click)': 'toggle()',
    '(keydown.enter)': 'toggle()',
    '(keydown.space)': 'toggle(); $event.preventDefault()',
  },
  template: `<span class="toggle-track"><span class="toggle-thumb"></span></span>`,
})
export class Toggle {
  label = input.required<string>();
  checked = input(false, { transform: booleanAttribute });
  checkedChange = output<boolean>();
  
  toggle() {
    this.checkedChange.emit(!this.checked());
  }
}

Template Syntax

Use native control flow—do NOT use *ngIf, *ngFor, *ngSwitch.

<!-- Conditionals -->
@if (isLoading()) {
  <app-spinner />
} @else if (error()) {
  <app-error [message]="error()" />
} @else {
  <app-content [data]="data()" />
}

<!-- Loops -->
@for (item of items(); track item.id) {
  <app-item [item]="item" />
} @empty {
  <p>No items found</p>
}

<!-- Switch -->
@switch (status()) {
  @case ('pending') { <span>Pending</span> }
  @case ('active') { <span>Active</span> }
  @default { <span>Unknown</span> }
}

Class and Style Bindings

Do NOT use ngClass or ngStyle. Use direct bindings:

<!-- Class bindings -->
<div [class.active]="isActive()">Single class</div>
<div [class]="classString()">Class string</div>

<!-- Style bindings -->
<div [style.color]="textColor()">Styled text</div>
<div [style.width.px]="width()">With unit</div>

Images

Use NgOptimizedImage for static images:

import { NgOptimizedImage } from '@angular/common';

@Component({
  imports: [NgOptimizedImage],
  template: `
    <img ngSrc="/assets/hero.jpg" width="800" height="600" priority />
    <img [ngSrc]="imageUrl()" width="200" height="200" />
  `,
})
export class Hero {
  imageUrl = input.required<string>();
}

For detailed patterns, see references/component-patterns.md.

Angular Component Patterns

Table of Contents

• Model Inputs (Two-Way Binding)
• View Queries
• Content Queries
• Dependency Injection in Components
• Component Communication Patterns
• Dynamic Components

Model Inputs (Two-Way Binding)

For two-way binding with [(value)] syntax:

import { Component, model } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-slider',
  host: {
    '(input)': 'onInput($event)',
  },
  template: `
    <input 
      type="range" 
      [value]="value()" 
      [min]="min()" 
      [max]="max()" 
    />
    <span>{{ value() }}</span>
  `,
})
export class Slider {
  // Model creates both input and output
  value = model(0);
  min = input(0);
  max = input(100);
  
  onInput(event: Event) {
    const target = event.target as HTMLInputElement;
    this.value.set(Number(target.value));
  }
}

// Usage: <app-slider [(value)]="sliderValue" />

Required model:

value = model.required<number>();

View Queries

Query elements and components in the template:

import { Component, viewChild, viewChildren, ElementRef } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-gallery',
  template: `
    <div #container class="gallery">
      @for (image of images(); track image.id) {
        <app-image-card [image]="image" />
      }
    </div>
  `,
})
export class Gallery {
  images = input.required<Image[]>();

  // Query single element
  container = viewChild.required<ElementRef<HTMLDivElement>>('container');

  // Query single component (optional)
  firstCard = viewChild(ImageCard);

  // Query all matching components
  allCards = viewChildren(ImageCard);
}

Content Queries

Query projected content:

import { Component, contentChild, contentChildren, effect, signal } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-tabs',
  template: `
    <div class="tab-headers">
      @for (tab of tabs(); track tab.label()) {
        <button
          [class.active]="tab === activeTab()"
          (click)="selectTab(tab)"
        >
          {{ tab.label() }}
        </button>
      }
    </div>
    <div class="tab-content">
      <ng-content />
    </div>
  `,
})
export class Tabs {
  // Query all projected Tab children
  tabs = contentChildren(Tab);

  // Query single projected element
  header = contentChild('tabHeader');

  activeTab = signal<Tab | undefined>(undefined);

  constructor() {
    // Set first tab as active when tabs are available
    effect(() => {
      const firstTab = this.tabs()[0];
      if (firstTab && !this.activeTab()) {
        this.activeTab.set(firstTab);
      }
    });
  }

  selectTab(tab: Tab) {
    this.activeTab.set(tab);
  }
}

@Component({
  selector: 'app-tab',
  template: `<ng-content />`,
  host: {
    '[class.active]': 'isActive()',
    '[style.display]': 'isActive() ? "block" : "none"',
  },
})
export class Tab {
  label = input.required<string>();
  isActive = input(false);
}

Dependency Injection in Components

Use inject() function instead of constructor injection:

import { Component, inject } from '@angular/core';
import { Router } from '@angular/router';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-dashboard',
  template: `...`,
})
export class Dashboard {
  private router = inject(Router);
  private userService = inject(User);
  private config = inject(APP_CONFIG);
  
  // Optional injection
  private analytics = inject(Analytics, { optional: true });
  
  // Self-only injection
  private localService = inject(Local, { self: true });
  
  navigateToProfile() {
    this.router.navigate(['/profile']);
  }
}

Component Communication Patterns

Parent to Child (Inputs)

// Parent
@Component({
  template: `<app-child [data]="parentData()" [config]="config" />`,
})
export class Parent {
  parentData = signal({ name: 'Test' });
  config = { theme: 'dark' };
}

// Child
@Component({ selector: 'app-child' })
export class Child {
  data = input.required<Data>();
  config = input<Config>();
}

Child to Parent (Outputs)

// Child
@Component({
  selector: 'app-child',
  template: `<button (click)="save()">Save</button>`,
})
export class Child {
  saved = output<Data>();
  
  save() {
    this.saved.emit({ id: 1, name: 'Item' });
  }
}

// Parent
@Component({
  template: `<app-child (saved)="onSaved($event)" />`,
})
export class Parent {
  onSaved(data: Data) {
    console.log('Saved:', data);
  }
}

Shared Service Pattern

// Shared state service
@Injectable({ providedIn: 'root' })
export class Cart {
  private items = signal<CartItem[]>([]);
  
  readonly items$ = this.items.asReadonly();
  readonly total = computed(() => 
    this.items().reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price, 0)
  );
  
  addItem(item: CartItem) {
    this.items.update(items => [...items, item]);
  }
  
  removeItem(id: string) {
    this.items.update(items => items.filter(i => i.id !== id));
  }
}

// Component A
@Component({ template: `<button (click)="add()">Add</button>` })
export class Product {
  private cart = inject(Cart);
  product = input.required<Product>();
  
  add() {
    this.cart.addItem({ ...this.product(), quantity: 1 });
  }
}

// Component B
@Component({ template: `<span>Total: {{ cart.total() }}</span>` })
export class CartSummary {
  cart = inject(Cart);
}

Dynamic Components

Using @defer for lazy loading:

@Component({
  template: `
    @defer (on viewport) {
      <app-heavy-chart [data]="chartData()" />
    } @placeholder {
      <div class="chart-placeholder">Loading chart...</div>
    } @loading (minimum 500ms) {
      <app-spinner />
    } @error {
      <p>Failed to load chart</p>
    }
  `,
})
export class Dashboard {
  chartData = input.required<ChartData>();
}

Defer triggers:

• on viewport - When element enters viewport
• on idle - When browser is idle
• on interaction - On user interaction (click, focus)
• on hover - On mouse hover
• on immediate - Immediately after non-deferred content
• on timer(500ms) - After specified delay
• when condition - When expression becomes true

@Component({
  template: `
    @defer (on interaction; prefetch on idle) {
      <app-comments [postId]="postId()" />
    } @placeholder {
      <button>Load Comments</button>
    }
  `,
})
export class Post {
  postId = input.required<string>();
}

Attribute Directives on Components

@Directive({
  selector: '[appHighlight]',
  host: {
    '[style.backgroundColor]': 'color()',
  },
})
export class Highlight {
  color = input('yellow', { alias: 'appHighlight' });
}

// Usage on component
@Component({
  imports: [Highlight],
  template: `<app-card appHighlight="lightblue" />`,
})
export class Page {}

Error Boundaries

@Component({
  selector: 'app-error-boundary',
  template: `
    @if (hasError()) {
      <div class="error">
        <h3>Something went wrong</h3>
        <button (click)="retry()">Retry</button>
      </div>
    } @else {
      <ng-content />
    }
  `,
})
export class ErrorBoundary {
  hasError = signal(false);
  private errorHandler = inject(ErrorHandler);
  
  retry() {
    this.hasError.set(false);
  }
}