Essential NX CLI Commands and Tools: Your Complete Guide to Angular Monorepo Management

Hey developers! ?? This week, we're diving into the powerful command-line tools that make NX a joy to work with. Whether you're just starting or looking to level up your NX skills, this guide will help you master the essential commands.

??? Essential NX CLI Commands

1. Project Commands

# List all projects
nx list

# Run a target for all projects
nx run-many --target=test --all

# Run a target for specific projects
nx run-many --target=build --projects=app1,app2

# Run a target for affected projects
nx affected --target=test        

2. Development Commands

# Serve an application
nx serve my-app

# Build an application
nx build my-app

# Run tests
nx test my-app

# Run e2e tests
nx e2e my-app-e2e

# Lint a project
nx lint my-app        

?? Pro Tip: Add the --watch flag to any command for continuous execution during development.

?? Project Generation Commands

Creating Applications

# Generate a new Angular application
nx g @nx/angular:app my-new-app

# Generate an SSR Angular application
nx g @nx/angular:app my-ssr-app --ssr        

Creating Libraries

# Generate a new library
nx g @nx/angular:lib my-lib

# Generate a library with routing
nx g @nx/angular:lib my-feature --routing

# Generate a publishable library
nx g @nx/angular:lib my-shared --publishable        

Generating Components and Services

# Generate a component
nx g @nx/angular:component my-component --project=my-lib

# Generate a service
nx g @nx/angular:service my-service --project=my-lib

# Generate a pipe
nx g @nx/angular:pipe my-pipe --project=my-lib        

?? Understanding Dependency Graphs

Viewing Project Dependencies

# Generate a dependency graph
nx graph

# Generate a focused graph for specific projects
nx graph --focus=my-app

# Save graph as an image
nx graph --file=dep-graph.png        

Common Graph Commands

1. View Affected Graph

nx affected:graph        

2. View Dependencies for a Project

nx dep-graph --focus=my-app        

?? Advanced Commands and Tips

1. Cache Management

# Clear the cache
nx reset

# Show cache statistics
nx print-affected        

2. Workspace Analysis

# Show project metadata
nx show project my-app

# List available generators
nx list @nx/angular

# View project dependencies
nx report        

3. Running Parallel Tasks

# Run tests in parallel
nx run-many --target=test --all --parallel=3

# Run multiple commands
nx run-many --target=lint,test,build --projects=app1,app2        

?? Best Practices

Use Affected Commands

• Save time by only rebuilding what changed

nx affected --target=build        

2. Leverage Task Dependencies

{
  "targets": {
    "build": {
      "dependsOn": [
        "^build"
      ]
    }
  }
}        

3. Utilize Project Tags

• Tag projects for better organization

nx g @nx/angular:lib my-lib --tags="scope:shared,type:ui"        

?? Common Use Cases

1. Starting a New Feature

# Generate feature library
nx g @nx/angular:lib feature-name --directory=features

# Generate component
nx g @nx/angular:component my-feature --project=feature-name

# Serve app with new feature
nx serve my-app        

2. Preparing for Production

# Build all apps
nx run-many --target=build --all --prod

# Run all tests
nx run-many --target=test --all

# Generate dependency graph
nx graph --file=production-deps.png        

?? Troubleshooting Tips

Command Not Found

# Install NX globally
npm install -g nx        

2. Cache Issues

# Clear cache and node_modules
nx reset && rm -rf node_modules        

3. Dependency Graph Not Loading

# Update NX
npm update nx        

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