Adding provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) globally in Angular 17+ project does not recognize the format change: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you struggling to implement the provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) globally in your Angular 17+ project, only to find that the format change is not recognized? You’re not alone! In this article, we’ll dive into the world of date formatting in Angular and provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to overcome this common issue.

What is provideMomentDateAdapter?

Before we dive into the solution, let’s first understand what provideMomentDateAdapter is and its significance in Angular. provideMomentDateAdapter is a function provided by the @angular/common module that allows you to configure the date formatting options for your Angular application.

By default, Angular uses the ISO 8601 format for dates, which can be limiting for applications that require custom date formats. This is where provideMomentDateAdapter comes into play, allowing you to specify your own custom date formats using the moment.js library.

The Problem: Adding provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) globally does not recognize the format change

Now, let’s assume you’ve added the provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) in your AppModule, expecting it to apply the custom date format globally throughout your application. However, when you try to use the DatePipe or the angular material datepicker, the format change is not recognized, and the ISO 8601 format is still used.

This can be frustrating, especially when you’re trying to implement a consistent date format across your application. But fear not! We’ll explore the reasons behind this issue and provide a solution to overcome it.

Reason behind the issue

The reason why adding provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) globally does not recognize the format change is due to how Angular handles the date formatting options. When you add the provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) in your AppModule, it only applies to the components that are declared in the same module.

In other words, the date formatting options are scoped to the module where it is declared. This means that if you have components in other modules that use the DatePipe or the angular material datepicker, they will still use the default ISO 8601 format.

Solution: Implementing provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) globally

Now that we understand the reason behind the issue, let’s move on to the solution. To implement the provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) globally, we need to ensure that it is declared in a way that makes it available to all components across the application.

Step 1: Create a separate module for date formatting options

The first step is to create a separate module that will handle the date formatting options. Create a new file called `date-formatting.module.ts` with the following code:

import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { CommonModule } from '@angular/common';
import { MAT_DATE_FORMATS, MatDateFormats } from '@angular/material/core';
import * as moment from 'moment-timezone';

export const MY_FORMATS = {
  parse: {
    dateInput: 'DD/MM/YYYY',
  },
  display: {
    dateInput: 'DD/MM/YYYY',
    monthYearLabel: 'MMM YYYY',
    dateA11yLabel: 'LL',
    monthYearA11yLabel: 'MMMM YYYY',
  },
};

@NgModule({
  imports: [CommonModule],
  providers: [
    { provide: MAT_DATE_FORMATS, useValue: MY_FORMATS },
    {
      provide: DatePipe,
      deps: [MAT_DATE_FORMATS],
      useFactory: (formats: MatDateFormats) => {
        return new DatePipe(formats);
      },
    },
  ],
})
export class DecimalFormatModule { }

In this module, we’re importing the CommonModule and the MAT_DATE_FORMATS from the @angular/material/core module. We’re also importing the moment library and defining our custom date format options in the MY_FORMATS object.

Note that we’re also providing the DatePipe with the custom date format options. This is crucial to ensure that the DatePipe uses the correct date format.

Step 2: Import the DecimalFormatModule in your AppModule

The next step is to import the DecimalFormatModule in your AppModule:

import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { AppComponent } from './app.component';
import { DecimalFormatModule } from './date-formatting.module';

@NgModule({
  declarations: [AppComponent],
  imports: [BrowserModule, DecimalFormatModule],
  providers: [],
  bootstrap: [AppComponent],
})
export class AppModule { }

By importing the DecimalFormatModule in your AppModule, you’re making the custom date formatting options available to all components across the application.

Step 3: Use the custom date format in your components

Finally, you can use the custom date format in your components using the DatePipe or the angular material datepicker:

<p>{{ date | date: 'DD/MM/YYYY' }}</p>

Or, if you’re using the angular material datepicker:

<mat-form-field>
  <input matInput [matDatepicker]="picker">
  <mat-datepicker-toggle matSuffix [for]="picker"><mat-datepicker-toggle>
  <mat-datepicker #picker></mat-datepicker>
</mat-form-field>

In both cases, the custom date format will be applied globally across your application.

Conclusion

In conclusion, adding provideMomentDateAdapter(MY_FORMATS) globally in an Angular 17+ project requires a bit more effort than just declaring it in the AppModule. By creating a separate module for date formatting options and importing it in the AppModule, you can ensure that the custom date format is applied globally across your application.

Remember to follow the steps outlined in this article, and you’ll be able to implement custom date formatting options in no time. Happy coding!

Module	Import Statement	Purpose
DecimalFormatModule	import { DecimalFormatModule } from ‘./date-formatting.module’;	Provides custom date formatting options globally
CommonModule	import { CommonModule } from ‘@angular/common’;	Provides common directive and pipes including DatePipe
MAT_DATE_FORMATS	import { MAT_DATE_FORMATS } from ‘@angular/material/core’;	Provides material date formatting options

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask in the comments below. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends and colleagues who may be struggling with the same issue!

• MAT_DATE_FORMATS API Documentation
• Angular Material Datepicker Documentation
• Moment.js Documentation

Happy coding, and I’ll catch you in the next article!

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