Getting Started with Next.js

Introduction

Next.js is a powerful React framework that makes building web applications easier. It provides a great developer experience with features like server-side rendering, static site generation, and API routes out of the box.

Key Features

• Server-side rendering: Better SEO and initial page load performance
• Static site generation: Pre-render pages at build time for maximum performance
• API routes: Build your backend API endpoints alongside your frontend
• File-based routing: Intuitive routing based on your file structure
• Built-in CSS support: Style your apps with CSS Modules, Sass, or CSS-in-JS
• TypeScript support: First-class TypeScript support out of the box

Getting Started

First, create a new Next.js app using the official create-next-app tool:

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

This will create a new Next.js application with all the necessary dependencies and a basic project structure.

Project Structure

A typical Next.js project has the following structure:

my-app/
├── app/              # App Router (Next.js 13+)
├── public/           # Static files
├── styles/           # Global styles
├── components/       # React components
├── lib/              # Utility functions
└── package.json      # Dependencies and scripts

Creating Your First Page

In Next.js, pages are created by adding files to the app directory. Create a new file app/about/page.tsx:

export default function AboutPage() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>About Us</h1>
      <p>This is the about page of our Next.js app.</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Now you can visit /about to see your new page!

Adding Dynamic Routes

Next.js supports dynamic routes using bracket notation. Create app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx:

export default function BlogPost({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Blog Post: {params.slug}</h1>
    </div>
  );
}

API Routes

You can create API endpoints in the app/api directory:

// app/api/hello/route.ts
export async function GET() {
  return Response.json({ message: 'Hello from Next.js!' });
}

Deployment

Next.js apps can be deployed to various platforms:

• Vercel: The creators of Next.js offer seamless deployment
• Netlify: Great for static sites and serverless functions
• AWS: Deploy to AWS using Amplify or custom EC2 setup
• Docker: Containerize your app for maximum flexibility

Conclusion

Next.js is an excellent choice for building modern web applications. It provides the right balance of developer experience and performance optimization. Start building your next project with Next.js today!

Resources

• Next.js Documentation
• Next.js GitHub Repository
• Next.js Discord Community
• Vercel Platform