How to use *ngIf else?

Angular 4 and 5:

using else :

<div *ngIf="isValid;else other_content">
    content here ...
</div>

<ng-template #other_content>other content here...</ng-template>

you can also use then else :

<div *ngIf="isValid;then content else other_content">here is ignored</div>    
<ng-template #content>content here...</ng-template>
<ng-template #other_content>other content here...</ng-template>

or then alone :

<div *ngIf="isValid;then content"></div>    
<ng-template #content>content here...</ng-template>

Demo :

Plunker

Details:

<ng-template>: is Angular’s own implementation of the <template> tag which is according to MDN :

The HTML <template> element is a mechanism for holding client-side content that is not to be rendered when a page is loaded but may subsequently be instantiated during runtime using JavaScript.

In Angular 4.x.x You can use ngIf in four way to achieve simple if else procedure:

1. Just Use If

   <div *ngIf="isValid">
       If isValid is true
   </div>
   

2. Using If with Else (Please notice to templateName)

   <div *ngIf="isValid; else templateName">
       If isValid is true
   </div>
   
   <ng-template #templateName>
       If isValid is false
   </ng-template>
   

3. Using If with Then (Please notice to templateName)

   <div *ngIf="isValid; then templateName">
       Here is never showing
   </div>
   
   <ng-template #templateName>
       If isValid is true
   </ng-template>
   

4. Using If with Then and Else

   <div *ngIf="isValid; then thenTemplateName else elseTemplateName">
       Here is never showing
   </div>
   
   <ng-template #thenTemplateName>
       If isValid is true
   </ng-template>
   
   <ng-template #elseTemplateName>
       If isValid is false
   </ng-template>
   

Tip: ngIf evaluates the expression and then renders the then or else template in its place when expression is truthy or falsy respectively. Typically the:

• then template is the inline template of ngIf unless bound to a different value.
• else template is blank unless it is bound.

To work with observable, this is what I usually do to display if the observable array consists of data.

<div *ngIf="(observable$ | async) as listOfObject else emptyList">
   <div >
        ....
    </div>
</div>
 <ng-template #emptyList>
   <div >
        ...
    </div>
</ng-template>