Getting Started with Next.js

Next.js is a React-based full-stack framework that provides many out-of-the-box features, enabling developers to quickly build high-performance web applications.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a React framework developed by Vercel that provides the following core features:

• Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Improves first-page load speed and SEO
• Static Site Generation (SSG): Pre-builds pages for optimal performance
• API Routes: Build API endpoints within the same project
• File System Routing: Automatically generates routes based on file structure
• Built-in Optimizations: Image optimization, font optimization, etc.

Quick Start

Creating a New Project

npx create-next-app@latest my-app
cd my-app
npm run dev

Project Structure

my-app/
├── app/
│   ├── layout.tsx
│   ├── page.tsx
│   └── globals.css
├── public/
├── next.config.js
└── package.json

App Router vs Pages Router

Next.js 13 introduced the new App Router, which is based on React Server Components and provides better performance and developer experience.

Advantages of App Router

1. Better Performance: Uses server components by default
2. Nested Layouts: Supports complex layout structures
3. Streaming Rendering: Progressive page loading
4. Parallel Routes: Render multiple page segments simultaneously

Data Fetching

Fetching Data in Server Components

async function BlogPost({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) {
  const post = await fetch(`https://api.example.com/posts/${params.id}`)
    .then(res => res.json());

  return (
    <article>
      <h1>{post.title}</h1>
      <p>{post.content}</p>
    </article>
  );
}

Fetching Data in Client Components

'use client';

import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function UserProfile() {
  const [user, setUser] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    fetch('/api/user')
      .then(res => res.json())
      .then(setUser);
  }, []);

  if (!user) return <div>Loading...</div>;

  return <div>Hello, {user.name}!</div>;
}

Styling Solutions

Next.js supports multiple styling solutions:

• CSS Modules: Scoped CSS isolation
• Tailwind CSS: Utility-first CSS framework
• Styled Components: CSS-in-JS solution
• Sass/SCSS: CSS preprocessor

Deployment

Next.js applications can be deployed to multiple platforms:

• Vercel: Zero-configuration deployment
• Netlify: Static site hosting
• AWS: Using Amplify or EC2
• Docker: Containerized deployment

Summary

Next.js is a powerful React framework that simplifies the development process of modern web applications. By providing server-side rendering, static generation, API routes, and other features, Next.js allows developers to focus on implementing business logic.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, Next.js is an excellent choice for building React applications.