Speed Up Your Angular 18 Build Settings

6 days ago 6

Angular 18: Speed Up Your Builds by 5% with Two Settings (Angular build settings)

Are your Angular builds taking longer than they should? You’re not alone! With the introduction of Angular 18, there’s a game-changing trick to reduce build times by 5% — and it involves just one setting. Let’s dive into the details of using the "isolatedModules": true option in your tsconfig.json file to optimize your builds.

Why Build Speed Matters

For developers working on large-scale applications, every second counts. Long build times can disrupt workflows, reduce productivity, and even cause frustration. Angular 18 addresses this by introducing a setting designed for faster builds, making your coding sessions smoother and more efficient.

In today’s fast-paced development cycles, time is of the essence. Long build times can:

Impede productivity: Waiting for builds disrupts the workflow.
Increase frustration: Developers want quick feedback.
Delay releases: Slower builds equal slower delivery.

Angular 18 has taken a step toward solving this by leveraging TypeScript’s isolated modules feature, giving developers a simple way to improve build speed.

#The One — Magic Setting: "isolatedModules": true

The "isolatedModules" setting in tsconfig.json tells the TypeScript compiler to treat each file as a standalone module. This enables faster builds by simplifying how TypeScript checks dependencies.

Here’s how you can enable it:

{ "compilerOptions": { "isolatedModules": true } }

How to Apply "isolatedModules": true

Follow these steps to add this setting to your Angular project:

1. Locate the tsconfig.json File
Find the tsconfig.json file in the root of your Angular project.

2. Edit the File
Add the "isolatedModules": true option under the "compilerOptions" section, like this:

{ "compilerOptions": { "target": "es2020", "module": "esnext", "isolatedModules": true, "strict": true } }

3. Save and Test
Save the file and run your build command:

ng build

What’s Happening Behind the Scenes?

Enabling "isolatedModules": true optimizes the TypeScript compilation process by removing the need for cross-file type-checking during builds. This results in:

Reduced computational overhead: Only the current file is analyzed.
Better compatibility: Works seamlessly with tools like Babel and SWC.

What Are the Benefits?

By enabling "isolatedModules": true, you can expect:

Boost Angular 18 Build Speed by 5% with tsconfig.json Setting

Faster builds: A significant 5% reduction in build time.
Simplified workflows: Streamlined type-checking for individual files.
Enhanced compatibility: Better integration with modern bundlers.

Considerations and Limitations

While "isolatedModules": true is a powerful optimization, it comes with a few caveats:

1. Limited Type-Checking
This setting disables cross-file type-checking. Errors that rely on inter-file analysis may be missed. To counter this, run:

ng build --strict

2. Only for Development
It’s best to use this setting for development builds. For production, ensure full type-checking to catch all errors.

Comparison: Build Time Before and After

Let’s look at a simple comparison:

Build ConfigurationBuild Time

Default Settings	20 seconds
"isolatedModules": true	19 seconds (-5%)

Angular build settings | Image generated by Copilot AI

#The Another-Setting Wonder: Enabling Optimization

Angular 18 has introduced a build setting called optimization. By enabling this setting in your project configuration, the Angular CLI can handle builds more efficiently. Here’s how you can configure it:

Step 1: Open angular.json

Locate your project’s angular.json file in the root directory. This file contains the configuration for your Angular application.

Step 2: Add or Update the Optimization Setting

Find the build section under architect in the JSON file. Update it as follows:

"architect": { "build": { "configurations": { "production": { "optimization": { "scripts": true, "styles": true, "fonts": true } } } } } }

What Does architect build — optimization Do?

This setting enhances the handling of scripts, styles, and fonts by applying advanced minification techniques and efficient bundling. Here’s how it works:

Scripts: Reduces the size of JavaScript files.
Styles: Optimizes CSS, improving load times.
Fonts: Adjusts font embedding for better performance.

By doing this, Angular reduces the workload during runtime, improving build times by approximately 5%.

Quick Comparison

Here’s a simple before-and-after comparison:

Without OptimizationWith Optimization

Build Time: 30s	Build Time: 28.5s
Bundle Size: 1.5 MB	Bundle Size: 1.3 MB

Bonus Tip: Use Incremental Builds

To complement the optimization setting, Angular 18’s incremental builds feature can further reduce build times by only compiling changed parts of the code. Enable this feature alongside optimization to maximize efficiency:

ng build --configuration=production --watch

Common Pitfalls and Troubleshooting

Error in angular.json: Ensure proper JSON formatting. Missing commas or curly braces can cause errors.
Compatibility Issues: Check if your Angular libraries and dependencies support version 18.
Testing Build Times: Use tools like Webpack Bundle Analyzer to verify improvements.

Wrapping Up

Angular 18’s new optimization setting is a simple yet powerful way to save precious seconds during builds. Implementing this tweak not only speeds up development but also ensures your application is optimized for deployment.

By adding a single line to your tsconfig.json file, you can take advantage of Angular 18’s performance enhancements and speed up your builds by 5%. It’s a simple, efficient, and effective way to boost productivity while minimizing wait times.

So, why wait? Update your tsconfig.json file today and enjoy faster builds with "isolatedModules": true!

Got more Angular tips to share? Drop them in the comments below. 🚀

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