Created At: 2/15/2025

Next.js: The React Framework for Production

Introduction

Next.js is a popular React framework that enables developers to build fast and scalable web applications. It offers features like server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), and API routes, making it a powerful choice for modern web development.

Why Use Next.js?

1. Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

Next.js supports SSR, which improves SEO and performance by rendering pages on the server before sending them to the client.

2. Static Site Generation (SSG)

With SSG, Next.js can pre-render pages at build time, offering faster load times and improved SEO.

3. API Routes

Next.js allows developers to create backend API routes within the same project, eliminating the need for a separate backend server.

4. Image Optimization

The built-in Image component (next/image) optimizes images automatically, reducing load times and enhancing performance.

5. Automatic Code Splitting

Next.js automatically splits code at the page level, ensuring only necessary JavaScript is loaded, improving performance.

Getting Started with Next.js

1. Installation

To create a new Next.js project, run:

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

This starts the development server at http://localhost:3000.

2. Creating Pages

Next.js follows a file-based routing system. Create a new page in the pages directory:

// pages/about.js
export default function About() {
return

About Us

;
}

Visit http://localhost:3000/about to see the new page.

3. Fetching Data

Using getServerSideProps (SSR)

export async function getServerSideProps() {
const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
const data = await res.json();
return { props: { data } };
}

Using getStaticProps (SSG)

export async function getStaticProps() {
const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
const data = await res.json();
return { props: { data } };
}

4. API Routes

Create a backend API inside pages/api/hello.js:

export default function handler(req, res) {
res.status(200).json({ message: "Hello from Next.js API!" });
}

Conclusion

Next.js is a powerful framework that enhances React development with features like SSR, SSG, API routes, and optimized performance. Whether you're building a static site, a dynamic web app, or an e-commerce platform, Next.js provides the tools to create efficient and scalable applications.