Before starting development with Angular, you need to set up your working environment. This requires three essential tools: Node.js, Angular CLI, and VS Code.

Installing Node.js

1. Go to the official Node.js website;

2. Use Node.js v20.19.0 (LTS) instead of the latest version, as Angular isn’t fully compatible with the newest release yet;

3. Select your operating system—I’m choosing macOS, but pick the one that matches your setup. Leave the other settings as they are;

4. Download the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Once installed, open the terminal (or command prompt) and verify that Node.js is installed:

If everything is set up correctly, this command will display the installed Node.js version.

Next, check that npm (Node.js package manager) is installed:

This confirms that npm is installed and ready to use.

Installing Angular CLI

To install Angular CLI, first open your terminal (or command prompt). Then, run the following command to install Angular CLI globally:

This command installs Angular CLI globally on your system, making it available for any Angular project.

Once the installation is complete, check the version of Angular CLI by running:

This will display the version information for Angular CLI and other installed dependencies.

Installing VS Code

1. Go to the official VS Code website;

2. Choose the version for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux);

3. Download the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Once installed, open VS Code and set up the necessary extensions:

1. Go to the Extensions section (Ctrl + Shift + X on Windows or Cmd + Shift + X on macOS);

2. Install the Angular Language Service extension for code highlighting and autocompletion.

3. You can also install Angular Essentials to add syntax support, autocompletion, and other tools for easier Angular development in VS Code.

Your environment is now set up! You've installed Node.js, Angular CLI, and VS Code, so you're ready to start building your first Angular project.