Component library local development with npm link error: "Please add a @NgModule annotation"

[ernestbofill]

Bug Report or Feature Request (mark with an x)

- [x] bug report -> please search issues before submitting
- [ ] feature request

Versions.

@angular/cli: 1.0.6
node: 6.9.5
os: win32 x64
@angular/common: 4.1.3
@angular/compiler: 4.1.3
@angular/core: 4.1.3
@angular/forms: 4.1.3
@angular/http: 4.1.3
@angular/platform-browser: 4.1.3
@angular/platform-browser-dynamic: 4.1.3
@angular/router: 4.1.3
@angular/cli: 1.0.6
@angular/compiler-cli: 4.1.3

Repro steps.

1. Create an empty angular-cli project
2. Create a new Angular component library with at least one module and one component.
3. Build the component library with ngc -p ./src/tsconfig.lib.json
4. Register the component library running npm link at the /dist folder of the library.
5. From the angular-cli project link to the component library: npm link component-library-package-name
6. Use the component library (import a module and use a component).
7. Start the angular-cli project with ng serve.
8. It compiles but it will fail in the browser with the following error: Unexpected value 'MyModule' imported by the module 'AppModule'. Please add a @NgModule annotation.

The log given by the failure.

Chrome error log:

compiler.es5.js:1540 Uncaught Error: Unexpected value 'MyModule' imported by the module 'AppModule'. Please add a @NgModule annotation.
    at syntaxError (http://localhost:4200/vendor.bundle.js:29720:34)
    at http://localhost:4200/vendor.bundle.js:42674:44
    at Array.forEach (native)
    at CompileMetadataResolver.getNgModuleMetadata (http://localhost:4200/vendor.bundle.js:42657:49)
    at JitCompiler._loadModules (http://localhost:4200/vendor.bundle.js:53810:66)
    at JitCompiler._compileModuleAndComponents (http://localhost:4200/vendor.bundle.js:53769:52)
    at JitCompiler.compileModuleAsync (http://localhost:4200/vendor.bundle.js:53731:23)
    at PlatformRef_._bootstrapModuleWithZone (http://localhost:4200/vendor.bundle.js:5731:25)
    at PlatformRef_.bootstrapModule (http://localhost:4200/vendor.bundle.js:5717:21)
    at Object.122 (http://localhost:4200/main.bundle.js:303:124)

Desired functionality.

Mention any other details that might be useful.

[clydin]

You can find information related to using linked libraries here: https://github.com/angular/angular-cli/wiki/stories-linked-library

If you are still having issues, please let us know and if possible provide a sample library or other repro.

[ernestbofill]

@clydin thanks, I still have issues. I believe my component library follows the guidelines from the link you provided.

I attach a zip file with a sample library and an angular-cli application using it which can be used to reproduce the issue:

npmlinktest.zip

[clydin]

Your component library setup looks fine.
The app needs some slight adjustment to ensure that the application's Angular libraries are used and not the library's development dependencies. This change will essentially mimic the standard behavior of the Angular peer dependencies in the context of a linked library.
In src/tsconfig.app.json, add the paths setting as follows:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    // ...
    "paths": {
      "@angular/*": [
        "../node_modules/@angular/*"
      ]
    }
  }
}

[ernestbofill]

Great. That fixes it. I can see now that it was also explained in the guide you provided earlier but I didn't understand it there.

[matthewhegarty]

Adding paths didn't work for me. I removed linked library's node_modules and that is a pain but fixes the issue (actually I just needed to remove node_modules/@angular/core). See this thread.

I've followed all of the steps in the guide carefully, but I must be missing something because I always get the error.

[DooMMasteR]

I have the same issue, but only in development, the result of the production compile run works just fine.
"paths": { "@angular/*": ["../node_modules/@angular/*"] } is already set up in my tsconfig.app.json but in development I still get an @NgModule annotation error.

@angular/cli: 1.4.3
node: 6.11.3
os: linux x64
@angular/animations: 4.4.3
@angular/common: 4.4.3
@angular/compiler: 4.4.3
@angular/core: 4.4.3
@angular/forms: 4.4.3
@angular/http: 4.4.3
@angular/platform-browser: 4.4.3
@angular/platform-browser-dynamic: 4.4.3
@angular/router: 4.4.3
@angular/cli: 1.4.3
@angular/compiler-cli: 4.4.3
@ngtools/webpack: 1.7.1
typescript: 2.3.4

[kal-a-1]

deleting the node_modules folder from linking library solved the error for me

[endy21osu]

I am having the same issue when i try to link a module after running ngc.

The issue goes away if i use "@angular/cli": "1.2.7" but if i use 1.3.0 and up to 1.4.7 i have the issue where i am asked to "Please add a @NgModule annotation." in the console of the browser. any ideas?

node -v
v6.11.3

    "@angular/cli": "1.3.0",
    "@angular/compiler-cli": "^4.3.0",
    "@angular/language-service": "^4.3.0",
    "@types/jasmine": "~2.5.53",
    "@types/jasminewd2": "~2.0.2",
    "@types/node": "~6.0.60",
    "@types/lodash": "^4.14.68",
    "codelyzer": "~3.1.1",
    "jasmine-core": "~2.6.2",
    "jasmine-spec-reporter": "~4.1.0",
    "karma": "~1.7.0",
    "karma-chrome-launcher": "~2.1.1",
    "karma-cli": "~1.0.1",
    "karma-coverage-istanbul-reporter": "^1.2.1",
    "karma-jasmine": "~1.1.0",
    "karma-jasmine-html-reporter": "^0.2.2",
    "protractor": "~5.1.2",
    "ts-node": "~3.2.0",
    "tslint": "~5.3.2",
    "typescript": "~2.3.3"

[matthewhegarty]

@endy21osu Hi Jeff - you can try removing the linked library's node_modules directory (or just @angular/node_modules) - see above.

See also this issue