Due to its seamless integration with React and its emphasis on performance, NextJS has become a popular choice for developers.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, this crash course will give you a comprehensive understanding of Next and its advanced features.
Are you ready to discover the power of Next.js for building dynamic and optimized web applications?
What is Next.js?
Let’s start with a Nextjs introduction. Also known as NextJS or simply Next, Next.js is a React framework for building component-based User Interfaces (UIs).
Built by Tim Neutkens and his team, Next.js quickly became a preferred choice due to its Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG) capabilities.
When you develop with React, the code rendering process often happens on the client side (the browser downloads the JavaScript bundle and renders the components).
With Next.js, the rendering occurs on a Content Delivery Network (CDN) before the page gets to the client.
As a result, Next allows to pre render pages and load pages at build time with improved Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
With Next.js, developers can build highly performant websites easily while complying with React's best practices.
Next.js Main Features
With automatic code splitting and a based routing system, among others, Next offers a rich set of features for easier handling of dynamic content.
The framework addresses common requirements to simplify the Developer Experience (DX) from simple marketing websites to complex web applications.
That’s why Next.js is being widely adopted and is innovating for Front-End Development! But what NextJS features make it worth considering?
1. Next.js Dynamic Routes
This NextJS feature simplifies file-based routing for based routing systems, making the creation of multi-layered UIs more straightforward.
The process to establish Next.js routes is as easy as placing a React component into the page's directory so the framework can map your file structure to the URL path.
With NextJS dynamic routes, developers can guard routes with authentication, fetch data dynamically, and handle custom server-side logic step by step without extra libraries.
This focus ensures clean and manageable routing structures, even for large-scale applications, enhancing code quality and application security while easing maintenance.
2. Next.js Query Parameters
A query parameter allows devs to send extra info to a page through its URL.
Also, querying features help with search functionality, filtering options and dynamic behaviors that require data passing between pages.
Developers can use catch-all routes to handle multiple scenarios with a single route, such as a catch-all route to handle several pages regardless of specific URLs.
3. Next.js API Routes
With Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) routes, Next.js helps define custom endpoints to handle specific requests.
As a result, devs can create routes like /API/users to handle user-related operations or /API/products to handle product-related operations.
But what makes it so powerful is the seamless integration of NextJS API routes with other Next.js elements!
You can access API routes from any page or component to fetch data and update your UI in real time.
This front and back-end development integration makes Next.js a fantastic choice for full-stack applications.
4. Next.js Built-In CSS
With NextJS Built-in CSS Support, you can harness CSS (Cascade Style Sheets) to encapsulate styles and prevent conflicts for clean and maintainable code.
You can harness automatic code splitting to define styles for a particular component without worrying about affecting other parts of the application.
Next.js also supports global CSS styling, which is great for defining styles that apply to the entire product, like typography, colors, or layouts.
5. Next.js Pages
Next.js automatically routes files in the directory to a corresponding route, which eases the pre render pages’ process of both dynamic and static pages.
You can organize your UIs into different pages with unique URLs. Each NextJS page should export a React component to be rendered when its corresponding route is accessed.
6. Next.js Data Fetching
A data-driven development approach is more important than ever, and fetching data is key!
NextJS built-in data fetching makes this process easier with several methods, whether during the Server-Side Rendering process or the Client-Side rendering.
You can use the getStaticProps function to fetch data during the static generation process or the getServerSideProps function to fetch data on each request.
Likewise, Next.js has a powerful client-side data fetching library called SWR for easier client-side data fetching and management.
How To Get Started With NextJS?
Prerequisites for Next.js
To get started with Next.js, it's important to have a basic understanding of React and its component-based architecture. You'll also need Node.js and npm on your local machine.
It’s also helpful to be familiar with Command Line Interfaces (CLI) to set up and run NextJS projects and build robust, scalable web applications.
How To Set Up NextJS?
Start by ensuring you have Node installed— open your favorite terminal and type:
This instruction installs a new Next.js application in your chosen directory. No complex magic here – just a direct path to set the stage for your innovative projects.
How To Build A NextJS App?
After the initial step, name your new application:
Upon entering the command, your server can go live! You'll find your first Next.js app in your http://localhost:3000.
React with NextJS Development
Since Next.js is a React framework, they work wonderfully together! React is a JS library for interactive User Interfaces, and Next extends React’s capabilities!
The framework works the setup so devs can focus on writing components and functionality without spending extra time configuring servers or handling routing manually.
And, of course, reusable components serve as the building blocks for static websites, dashboards, Single-Page Applications (SPAs), and Web Apps.
If you’re looking for more info on Next.JS working with other languages and frameworks, check out our article on Next.js with TypeScript Development!
Why Use Next.js for Web Development?
Next.js simplifies processes and can be key in improving Full-Stack web applications’ performance, from its procedure to pre render pages to its automatic code splitting.
Since it cuts the need for complicated setup configurations, it enables teams to focus on the core functionalities without sacrificing performance and deliver pages at build time.
Next.js takes care of Server-Side Rendering or Static Site Generation, allowing teams to focus on delivering disruptive products with outstanding User Experiences (UXs).
Conclusion
With a solid understanding of React components, devs can leverage NextJS to revolutionize building server-side rendered apps.
This scope can be fundamental in aligning with users' expectations of performance and interactivity!
As you can see, NextJS has great potential for both small and large-scale applications, delivering extremely user-friendly digital experiences!
We hope you liked our NextJS introduction! Feel free to contact us to harness the power of Next.js for your next digital product <3
