How to Build SPAs With Angular Material

Single Page Applications (SPAs) have gained immense popularity due to their fast performance and seamless user experience. One of the best frameworks for developing SPAs is Angular, particularly when paired with Angular Material. This article will guide you through the steps to build SPAs using Angular Material.

1. Setting Up Your Angular Environment

Before diving into Angular Material, ensure that your environment is set up correctly. Begin by installing Angular CLI if you haven’t yet:

npm install -g @angular/cli

This command allows you to create and manage Angular projects easily. Next, create a new Angular project:

ng new my-spa

Navigate into your project directory:

cd my-spa

2. Adding Angular Material

To add Angular Material to your project, run the following command:

ng add @angular/material

This command will prompt you to configure a theme, set up global typography styles, and include animations. Opt for the recommended settings for a smoother experience.

3. Creating Components

Components are the building blocks of your SPA. Use the Angular CLI to generate components:

ng generate component name-of-your-component

For example, if you want to create a header component, run:

ng generate component header

Repeat this process for other components you need in your SPA, such as footer, sidebar, and content areas.

4. Implementing Angular Material Components

With Angular Material installed, you can now use its various UI components. Import Material modules in your application module for the components you wish to use. For instance, to use buttons and cards, modify your app.module.ts file:

import { MatButtonModule } from '@angular/material/button';
import { MatCardModule } from '@angular/material/card';
@NgModule({
  imports: [
    MatButtonModule,
    MatCardModule,
    // other imports
  ],
})
export class AppModule { }

Now, you can use Material components in your templates. For example, to create a Material card, you would write:

<mat-card>
  <mat-card-header>
    <mat-card-title>Title</mat-card-title>
  </mat-card-header>
  <mat-card-content>
    <p>Some content goes here.</p>
  </mat-card-content>
  <mat-card-actions>
    <button mat-button>Action 1</button>
    <button mat-button>Action 2</button>
  </mat-card-actions>
</mat-card>

5. Routing in Your SPA

Angular’s built-in router can help navigate between different views without reloading the entire page. Define routes in your application by modifying app-routing.module.ts:

import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { RouterModule, Routes } from '@angular/router';
import { HomeComponent } from './home/home.component';
import { AboutComponent } from './about/about.component';
const routes: Routes = [
  { path: '', component: HomeComponent },
  { path: 'about', component: AboutComponent }
];
@NgModule({
  imports: [RouterModule.forRoot(routes)],
  exports: [RouterModule]
})
export class AppRoutingModule { }

With this setup, you can navigate to different components based on the URL.

6. Serving Your SPA

Finally, to see your SPA in action, use the following command:

ng serve

Your application will usually be hosted at http://localhost:4200. Open this in your browser to view your SPA.

Conclusion

Building SPAs with Angular Material can result in aesthetically pleasing and highly interactive applications. By following these steps—setting up your environment, adding Angular Material, creating components, implementing routing, and serving your app—you can create a fully functional single-page application that enhances user experience and performance.

How to Build SPAs With Angular Material