Angular Interview Practice

Where is the selector defined in an Angular component?

1. In the component's HTML file

2. In the module file

3. In the @Component decorator

4. In the main.ts file

The correct answer is: In the @Component decorator

In an Angular component, the selector is defined within the @Component decorator. This decorator is a key part of Angular that provides metadata for the component, which includes the selector, template URL, style URLs, and other important information. The selector acts as a custom HTML tag that can be used to render the component in other templates, allowing the component to be easily reusable within the application. When defining the selector in the @Component decorator, you specify it in a manner that allows it to be uniquely identified and used in other components or directly within HTML files. This makes it an essential aspect of component-based architecture in Angular, facilitating the modular approach that Angular promotes. The other options do not serve as valid locations for defining a component's selector. For example, the component's HTML file is meant for the template associated with the component, which defines how the component's UI appears but does not include metadata like the selector. The module file deals with the NgModule metadata and imports but does not define individual component properties such as the selector. Finally, the main.ts file is responsible for bootstrapping the Angular application and does not involve component-specific configurations such as selectors.