# ADR 0002: Standalone Components Without NgModules

**Date:** 2026-04-26
**Status:** Accepted

## Context

Historically, Angular required all components, directives, and pipes to be declared inside NgModules, which acted as compilation units. Angular 14 introduced standalone components as an opt-in alternative. Angular 17+ made them the recommended default and they became the foundation of the new `@angular/build:application` builder.

## Decision

The entire application uses standalone components with no NgModules. The app entry point is `app.config.ts` (providers) + `app.routes.ts` (routing), with no `AppModule`.

## Consequences

- **Positive:** Each component explicitly declares its own `imports`, making dependencies visible and reducing hidden coupling.
- **Positive:** Better tree-shaking — unused imports in one component don't affect others.
- **Positive:** Aligns with Angular's long-term direction; compatible with the esbuild-based application builder.
- **Negative:** Slightly more verbose component decorators (each must list its own `imports`).
- **Note:** `CommonModule` should not be imported wholesale; use specific primitives (`NgClass`, `DatePipe`, etc.) or the newer `@if`/`@for` control flow syntax instead.