fix(core): HMR not matching component that injects ViewContainerRef (#59596)

If a component injects `ViewContainerRef`, its `LView` gets wrapped in an empty `LContainer` and the container's host becomes the `LView`. The HMR logic wasn't accounting for this which meant that such components wouldn't be replaced.

Fixes #59592.

PR Close #59596

packages/core/src/render3/hmr.ts

@@ -109,8 +109,13 @@ function recreateMatchingLViews(oldDef: ComponentDef<unknown>, rootLView: LView)
     const current = rootLView[i];
 
     if (isLContainer(current)) {
-      for (let i = CONTAINER_HEADER_OFFSET; i < current.length; i++) {
-        recreateMatchingLViews(oldDef, current[i]);
+      // The host can be an LView if a component is injecting `ViewContainerRef`.
+      if (isLView(current[HOST])) {
+        recreateMatchingLViews(oldDef, current[HOST]);
+      }
+
+      for (let j = CONTAINER_HEADER_OFFSET; j < current.length; j++) {
+        recreateMatchingLViews(oldDef, current[j]);
       }
     } else if (isLView(current)) {
       recreateMatchingLViews(oldDef, current);

packages/core/test/acceptance/hmr_spec.ts

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   Type,
   ViewChild,
   ViewChildren,
+  ViewContainerRef,
   ɵNG_COMP_DEF,
   ɵɵreplaceMetadata,
 } from '@angular/core';
@@ -416,6 +417,58 @@ describe('hot module replacement', () => {
     verifyNodesWereRecreated(recreatedNodes);
   });
 
+  it('should be able to replace a component that injects ViewContainerRef', () => {
+    const initialMetadata: Component = {
+      selector: 'child-cmp',
+      standalone: true,
+      template: 'Hello <strong>world</strong>',
+    };
+
+    @Component(initialMetadata)
+    class ChildCmp {
+      vcr = inject(ViewContainerRef);
+    }
+
+    @Component({
+      standalone: true,
+      imports: [ChildCmp],
+      template: '<child-cmp/>',
+    })
+    class RootCmp {}
+
+    const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(RootCmp);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    markNodesAsCreatedInitially(fixture.nativeElement);
+
+    expectHTML(
+      fixture.nativeElement,
+      `
+        <child-cmp>
+          Hello <strong>world</strong>
+        </child-cmp>
+      `,
+    );
+
+    replaceMetadata(ChildCmp, {
+      ...initialMetadata,
+      template: `Hello <i>Bob</i>!`,
+    });
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    const recreatedNodes = childrenOf(...fixture.nativeElement.querySelectorAll('child-cmp'));
+    verifyNodesRemainUntouched(fixture.nativeElement, recreatedNodes);
+    verifyNodesWereRecreated(recreatedNodes);
+
+    expectHTML(
+      fixture.nativeElement,
+      `
+        <child-cmp>
+          Hello <i>Bob</i>!
+        </child-cmp>
+      `,
+    );
+  });
+
   describe('queries', () => {
     it('should update ViewChildren query results', async () => {
       @Component({