Boosting Your Workflow with Angular 5 Snippets and VS Code

Angular 5 code snippets in Visual Studio Code significantly improve productivity and reduce the need to write duplicate code. The VS Code market offers a variety of code snippets for different programming languages, including Angular 5. These code snippets can be installed and used in any Angular 5 project. Users can create their own code snippets in VS Code using the same syntax defined in TextMate. These custom code snippets can be interactive by inserting tab stops, placeholders, and selection lists. You can share code snippets with team members by creating a .vscode folder in the project root directory and submitting it to the repository. For more widespread sharing, snippets can be uploaded to public servers or published as extensions to the VS Code marketplace.

This article focuses on how to use Angular 5 code snippets in Visual Studio Code to improve workflow. We will first cover the basics of using and creating code snippets. We'll learn how to use VS Code's Angular code snippet in an Angular project. We will then learn how to create our own snippets of code and share them with others.

How boring it is for anyone who is proficient in a programming language to type the same code over and over again. Eventually, you will start copying and pasting code snippets to avoid the pain of writing the for loop again with your fingers.

It would be great if your editor could automatically help you insert this common code as you type, right?

OK, you probably know that they are called code snippets. This is a feature that is common in all modern IDEs. Even Notepad supports them (although not enabled by default).

Prerequisites

Before you start, you need to install the latest version of Visual Studio Code on your computer. We will also introduce Angular 5 code snippets. So at least having the basics of Angular will help, but not necessarily.

You need to use an existing or new Angular 5 project to experiment with code snippets. I'm assuming you have the latest version of Node.js, or at least Node.js 6 or above. If you haven't already, here are the commands to install the Angular CLI tool:

<code>npm install -g @angular/cli

# 或
yarn global add @angular/cli
</code>

Detailed explanation of code snippets

Code snippets are templates that can easily insert duplicate code. When VS Code is first installed, it preinstalls JavaScript code snippets. To view them, simply open an existing JavaScript file or create a new file in the workspace and try typing the following prefix:

• log
• if
• ifelse
• forof
• settimeout

When you type, a pop-up list will appear, giving you the option to autocomplete your code. Once the correct snippet is highlighted, just press the enter key to insert the snippet. In some cases, such as log and for, you may need to press the down arrow key to select the correct code snippet.

You may be wondering where these JavaScript code snippets come from. Well, you can find the exact definition at:

• Windows – C:Program FilesMicrosoft VS Coderesourcesappextensionsjavascriptsnippetsjavascript.json
• Linux –/usr/share/code/resources/app/extensions/javascript/snippets/javascript.json

We will look at how to create our own code snippets, but first let's explore some third-party code snippets.

How to use code snippets

At the time of writing, the Visual Studio Marketplace lists 934 extensions in the Code Snippet category. You will find snippets of code written for each created programming language (including Pascal!)! This means you should probably check the market before creating your own code snippet. As mentioned earlier, we will introduce Angular 5 code snippets. Find an existing Angular 5 project in your workspace, or create a new one:

<code>npm install -g @angular/cli

# 或
yarn global add @angular/cli
</code>

When the project is set up, open it in VS Code. Next, click the extension icon on the activity bar to open the Expansion panel. Search Angular 5. The search results should list multiple Angular extensions. Install the extension authored by "John Papa". After the installation is complete, click the Reload button to restart VS Code. This Angular 5 snippet extension contains more than 50 code snippets. About 70% of the snippets are written for TypeScript, and most of the rest are written for HTML. There are also some Docker code snippets.

Let's try some Angular 5 code snippets. Create a new file named app.service.ts in the app folder. Open the file and start typing "a-service". As you type, a pop-up list appears. You should have highlighted the correct options even before you finish typing. Press the enter key to insert the template. After entering the code snippet, note that the generated class name is highlighted so that you can change it.

Simply type "App" and the entire class name will appear as "AppService". Very convenient, right? Let's try different approaches. Delete all code in app-service.ts and type the following prefix:

<code>ng new snippets-demo</code>

You should get a service class definition that includes imports in the class constructor and HttpClient injection. Just like before, rename the class name to AppService.

Next, let's use another code snippet to define the HTTP GET request. Let's define an empty GET method. For this code you have to type; do not copy and paste:

<code>a-service-httpclient</code>

When you start typing "Observable", its code snippet option will appear. Simply press the enter key and the Observable class will be imported automatically.

Next, let's use another code snippet to complete the function. Start typing the following prefix: "a-httpclient-get". Pressing the enter key will insert this code snippet for you:

<code>npm install -g @angular/cli

# 或
yarn global add @angular/cli
</code>

Change the URL to a fictional path—for example /posts. Obviously, our code won't run because we haven't set up any APIs yet. Fix it by adding after get. The complete method is now shown below.

<code>ng new snippets-demo</code>

Now that we have learned how to use Angular 5 code snippets, let's see how they are created.

How to create Angular 5 code snippet

The syntax used in Visual Studio Code is the same as the syntax defined in TextMate. In fact, you can copy the code snippet from TextMate and it will run in VS Code. However, remember that VS Code does not support the "interpolate shell code" feature.

The easiest way to create a code snippet is to open "Preferences: Configure User Code Snippets" through the command panel (ctrl shift p) Select it and select the language for which you want to create the syntax. Let's create one for TypeScript now. After opening typescript.json, place this code snippet template in the beginning and ending brackets:

<code>a-service-httpclient</code>

Let me introduce the template structure:

• "Print Hello World" - the title of the code snippet template. You can add any title as you like.
• prefix—The trigger keyword for the code snippet.
• body—the code that the code snippet will insert.
• description—No explanation required.

This is basically the easiest snippet template you can write. After saving the file, create a blank typescript and test the prefix hello. A pop-up list should appear when typing.

Once your code snippet is highlighted, just press the enter key. You should have inserted the following code:

<code>getPosts(): Observable<any> {
}
</any></code>

Great, right? Now let's make our code snippet template interactive by inserting some tab stop characters.

<code>return this.httpClient.get('url');
</code>

Try your prefix again now. This version allows you to insert your name. Once you have finished typing, just press the Tab key and the cursor will stay on the new line. $0 indicates the final tab stop character. You can use $1 and larger numbers to create multiple tab stop characters. But what if we want to insert the default value? We can use the placeholder as shown below: ${1:World}. Here is the complete template:

<code>getPosts(): Observable<any> {
  return this.httpClient.get<any>('/posts');
}
</any></any></code>

Try the code snippet again now. You can change the default value or skip the default value. Now let's provide a list of choices for developers:

To implement the selection list, just replace the console.log line as follows:

<code>npm install -g @angular/cli

# 或
yarn global add @angular/cli
</code>

These examples are sufficient at present. I did not introduce variable names and conversions. To learn more, check out John Papa's Angular code snippet on GitHub. Here is a preview:

<code>ng new snippets-demo</code>

This is the template we used to create the HttpClient service. I recommend you browse the project as it contains many very useful templates that you can learn.

Summary

Now that you have learned how to create code snippets, you may want to share them with team members, friends, or the public. The easiest way to share code snippets with your teammates is to create a .vscode folder in the root of your project. Create a subfolder named snippets and place all templates in it as follows:

Make sure to submit this folder so that everyone can find it in the repository. To share with your friends and the public, you can use a variety of options:

• You can upload code snippets to public servers such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and even Pastebin.
• You can publish code snippets as extensions to the VS Code market.

I hope this brief introduction to using code snippets will help you simplify your programming!

FAQs on improving productivity with Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code

What are Angular 5 code snippets and how do they improve productivity in VS Code?

Angular 5 snippets are predefined snippets that can be easily inserted into the code base in Visual Studio Code (VS Code). They are designed to save time and increase productivity by reducing the need to write duplicate code. For example, if you often use a specific Angular component structure, you can create a snippet of it and use it when needed. This way, you can focus more on the logic of your application than writing boilerplate code.

How to install Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code?

To install Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code, you need to go to the Extension View (Ctrl Shift X), search for "Angular Snippets", and then install the extension. Once the installation is complete, you can start using code snippets by typing the prefix of the code snippets into your code and selecting the code snippets in the suggestion list.

Can I create my own code snippet in VS Code?

Yes, you can create your own code snippets in VS Code. To do this, go to the file > Preferences > User Code Snippet, select the language for which you want to create the code snippet, and define the code snippet in the open JSON file. You can specify the prefix, body, and description of the code snippet.

How to use Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code?

To use Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code, you just need to type the prefix of the code snippet in the code and select the code snippet in the suggestion list. The code snippet will then be inserted into the cursor position. You can also use the Tab key to navigate between placeholders in a code snippet.

What are some useful Angular 5 code snippets?

There are many useful Angular 5 code snippets, such as "ngFor" for creating loops, "ngIf" for adding conditional statements, "ngModel" for bidirectional data binding, and " ngComponent”. These code snippets can greatly speed up your coding process.

Angular 5 How does code snippet compare to other code snippets?

Angular 5 code snippets are designed specifically for Angular development in VS Code. They provide a set of predefined code structures commonly used in Angular applications, making them more efficient and convenient than common code snippets.

Can I use Angular 5 code snippets for other versions of Angular?

While Angular 5 code snippets are designed for Angular 5, many of these code snippets can also be used in other versions of Angular. However, there may be some differences in syntax and functionality, so it is recommended to use code snippets designed specifically for your Angular version.

Is there any limitation to using Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code?

While Angular 5 code snippets can greatly improve your productivity, they are not a substitute for understanding the underlying code. It is important to know what each code snippet does and how it works in order to use them effectively.

How to use Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code to improve my workflow?

In addition to using Angular 5 code snippets, you can improve your workflow by using other features of VS Code, such as IntelliSense for code completion, debugging tools for troubleshooting, and Git for version control integrated.

Where can I find more resources for Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code?

You can find more resources on Angular 5 code snippets in VS Code in the official VS Code documentation, Angular documentation, and various online tutorials and forums. These resources can provide you with more detailed information and practical examples on how to use Angular 5 code snippets effectively.

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