Why Won't PowerShell Run My Angular Commands? (and How to Fix It)

• Angular is a framework for building web applications. It uses TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript, for development.
• Angular CLI (Command Line Interface) provides commands (like ng new, ng serve) to manage Angular projects. These commands are typically run from the terminal/command prompt.

PowerShell:

• PowerShell is a scripting language for automating tasks on Windows systems. It's different from the command prompt but offers more advanced features.

The Issue:

While PowerShell can run some commands, it might not recognize Angular CLI commands directly. This happens due to a couple of reasons:

1. Execution Policy: By default, PowerShell might have restrictions on running scripts to protect your system. Angular CLI commands might be treated as scripts.
2. Path Issues: The folder containing the Angular CLI installer might not be included in PowerShell's execution path. This means PowerShell wouldn't know where to find the ng command.

Solutions:

There are ways to run Angular CLI commands in PowerShell:

1. Run PowerShell as Administrator: This can temporarily bypass some execution policy restrictions.
2. Adjust Execution Policy: You can change the policy to allow running signed scripts (like Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser). Be cautious with this approach as it lowers security.
3. Use the Command Prompt: The command prompt typically has a more permissive execution policy and can directly run Angular CLI commands.
4. Specify the Path: You can add the Angular CLI installation directory to PowerShell's execution path using the $env:Path variable.

In Summary:

• Angular and JavaScript are for web development, while PowerShell is for system administration.
• PowerShell might require configuration changes to recognize Angular CLI commands due to security measures. There are workarounds to run them in PowerShell, but the command prompt might be a simpler option.

Start-Process powershell -Verb runAsAdministrator -ArgumentList "-Command ng serve"

This opens a new PowerShell window with administrator privileges and executes the ng serve command.

Option 2: Adjusting Execution Policy (Use with Caution)

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
ng serve

This line sets the execution policy to allow running signed scripts and then executes the ng serve command. Remember, this lowers security, so only use it if you understand the risks.

Option 3: Using the Command Prompt (Simpler Approach)

Open a command prompt window and navigate to your Angular project directory. Then, you can run Angular CLI commands directly:

ng serve

Option 4: Specifying Path (More Control)

$env:Path += ";C:\path\to\angular\cli\bin"  # Replace with your actual path
ng serve

This adds the directory containing the Angular CLI executable (usually ng.exe) to the PowerShell execution path. This allows you to run ng commands from any location in PowerShell.

1. Using Node.js:

• Angular CLI relies on Node.js to function. If you have Node.js installed, you can directly run Angular CLI commands from the command prompt or terminal by prefixing them with npx. For example:

npx ng serve

• This approach avoids modifying PowerShell's execution policy and leverages Node.js to execute the commands.

1. Using a Task Runner (Optional):

1. Using an IDE with Angular Support: