ionic-team/ionic-framework · error · SchematicsException

Could not find ( )

Error message

Could not find (${path})

What it means

Thrown by getWorkspace() when host.read(path) returns null for the workspace file path. getWorkspacePath() returns the first existing of `/angular.json` or `/.angular.json`; if neither exists, `path` is `undefined` and the read fails. This is the schematic's way of saying it could not locate an Angular CLI workspace at the expected root location.

Solutions

1. Confirm you are in an Angular CLI project: list the directory and check for `angular.json`.
2. If the file was renamed/moved, restore or symlink `angular.json` at the workspace root.
3. Run the schematic from the folder that actually contains angular.json.
4. For NX or non-standard workspaces, use the framework-specific integration (e.g. @ionic/angular with NX plugin) instead of the stock schematic.

Example fix

// before: schematic run in a folder with no angular.json
ng add @ionic/angular
// after: move to the folder containing angular.json, then run
ls angular.json   # confirm presence
ng add @ionic/angular

import { existsSync } from 'fs';
if (!existsSync('angular.json') && !existsSync('.angular.json')) {
  throw new Error('No Angular workspace file found. Run this schematic inside an Angular CLI project.');
}

function hasAngularWorkspace(files: string[]): boolean {
  return files.includes('angular.json') || files.includes('.angular.json');
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running an Ionic Angular schematic in a directory whose virtual Tree contains no `angular.json` and no `.angular.json` at the filesystem root the schematic reads. `path` in the message will be `undefined` when neither file is present.

Common situations: Running `ng add @ionic/angular` outside an Angular CLI project; inside an NX/non-Angular monorepo where the workspace file is named differently (workspace.json, project.json); angular.json was deleted, renamed, or lives in a sub-package and the schematic ran from the wrong root.

Related errors

• Could not find project
• Invalid builder for
• Invalid projectType for
• Ionic Add requires a project type of "application".
• Could not find file for path

AI-assisted analysis of ionic-team/ionic-framework@625f9c38ad (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1671134f5953a485. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/angular/src/schematics/utils/config.ts:146

  }

  angularJson.schematics[schematicName] = schematicOpts;

  writeConfig(host, angularJson);
}

export function getWorkspacePath(host: Tree): string {
  const possibleFiles = ['/angular.json', '/.angular.json'];
  const path = possibleFiles.filter((path) => host.exists(path))[0];

  return path;
}

export function getWorkspace(host: Tree): WorkspaceDefinition {
  const path = getWorkspacePath(host);
  const configBuffer = host.read(path);
  if (configBuffer === null) {
    throw new SchematicsException(`Could not find (${path})`);
  }
  const content = configBuffer.toString();

  return parse(content) as WorkspaceDefinition;
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 625f9c38ad)