ng new with older @angular/cli version generates an Angular 10 project

[Waterstraal]

🐞 Bug report

Command (mark with an x)

• [x] new
• [ ] build
• [ ] serve
• [ ] test
• [ ] e2e
• [ ] generate
• [ ] add
• [ ] update
• [ ] lint
• [ ] xi18n
• [ ] run
• [ ] config
• [ ] help
• [ ] version
• [ ] doc

Is this a regression?

Yes, it used to work in an older version. I'm not sure when I last ran this command, but my best guess is around Angular 6.

Description

Installing a new Angular project using npx and specifying an older @angular/cli@9 version generates an Angular 10 project.

🔬 Minimal Reproduction

Run npx -p @angular/cli@9 ng new ng9-app --interactive=false

Open package.json and see that it installed Angular 10 dependencies:

  "dependencies": {
    "@angular/animations": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/common": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/compiler": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/core": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/forms": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/platform-browser": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/platform-browser-dynamic": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/router": "~10.1.0",
    "rxjs": "~6.6.0",
    "tslib": "^2.0.0",
    "zone.js": "~0.10.2"
  },

I would expect to see dependencies on version 9.x

🌍 Your Environment

Windows 10 Node.js 12.4.0

[alan-agius4]

Can you try npx @angular/cli@9 new ng9-app --interactive=false

[Waterstraal]

same result:

  "dependencies": {
    "@angular/animations": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/common": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/compiler": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/core": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/forms": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/platform-browser": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/platform-browser-dynamic": "~10.1.0",
    "@angular/router": "~10.1.0",
    "rxjs": "~6.6.0",
    "tslib": "^2.0.0",
    "zone.js": "~0.10.2"
  },

[clydin]

The -p option will cause the version specifier to not be used. However, the command suggested above (npx @angular/cli@9 new ng9-app --interactive=false) should work. If this does not, then one likely cause is that a version of the CLI is installed in the directory hierarchy above the current directory. Could you check if there is an installed instance of the CLI (or potentially a node_modules directory in or above the current directory)?

[Waterstraal]

Thanks for the information!

I found a node_modules directory in a direct parent. When I removed it and then ran npx @angular/cli@9 new ng9-app --interactive=false it installed the expected v9

Regardless, I would expect v9 to be installed with above command wherever I run it, or is this logic flawed somehow?

[alan-agius4]

What's happening here is that at the moment the Angular CLI initialization code will always defer to the "local" installed version in case there is one.

When you use npx you are essentially install a temporary global version of @angular/cli, but since you have another "local" @angular/cli in the directory hierarchy above the current directory the command will be deferred to the latter version.

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