feat(@schematics/angular): Add the option to create an empty workspace

[Brocco]

Fixes #12216

[alexeagle]

hmm, what do you think about reversing the logic, so that the options all represent positives? Otherwise it feels like it's added retroactively

• new option would be createProject or similar
• it defaults to true
• if you want an empty project you do ng new --createProject=false (or do we support ng new --noCreateProject?)

[Brocco]

I actually disagree with this. I think the default should be negative and the options "turn them on"
As a user the cognitive load of turning on "empty" via --empty is easier that the idea of "create project false" via `--noCreateProject".

This is the same approach for most CLI tools I've used.

deleting a directory: rm -rf where you're setting recursive and force to true
pushing a branch git push origin some-branch -f sets force to true

Taking this to the next level, I think a standardization of the provided boolean options for schematics and architect should be done at some point. It will provide consistency to users about how to use any of the available boolean options.

[alexeagle]

What I'm saying is, imagine you didn't know what is the current behavior of Angular CLI.

There is a command that creates a new workspace, it can optionally also create a project.

Empty is the natural default state of the new workspace. The option --createProject also does a second step of populating the new workspace.

When I say negative, I mean that --empty is saying that there's something that should not be created.

Now, it so happens that for backwards compat, our users expect that --createProject should be the default since that matches what we do today.

[Brocco]

I certainly concede to that idea, but one of the principles on which the CLI was started (at least in my eyes) was to get started quickly by reducing the barrier to entry. With that being said, I think the idea of changing the default behavior of ng new to not create a project would be a mistake.

Also, I think this conversation could/should be moved over to the actual issue for historical purposes.

[ngbot]

Hi @Brocco! This PR has merge conflicts due to recent upstream merges.
Please help to unblock it by resolving these conflicts. Thanks!

[alexeagle]

I added a comment on the attached issue, good point about keeping discussion there

[alexeagle]

Discussed in team meeting, we'd like the new option to be --createApplication and it defaults to true.

We decided having positive flags outweighs the desire to have defaults be false.

[Brocco]

Thanks @alexeagle I will update the PR to reflect that decision.

[Brocco]

Possible 3rd option...

instead of having a boolean create an enumeration option named project that can have 3 potential values...
application (default)
library (would create just a library)
none (which would create an empty workspace)

[alexeagle]

fine with me to have --createProject=[application,library,none]
so long as there isn't much extra code to handle the --createProject=library case

[hansl]

Leaving this opened, but it seems it will miss the 7.0 RC deadline. I'll keep it on our backlog so we can look at it again around 7.1. Cheers!

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