Should you use Next.js for your upcoming projects? #7

In today's highly connected world, having an app for your business is super important. Apps boost customer engagement, keep people coming back to your brand, and make it easy for them to use your products or services. That's why more and more businesses are looking for good quality apps.

But, why choose Next.js for app development?

That's a question many business owners ask. Well, Next.js is a framework that's really powerful, flexible, and easy for developers to use. Apps made with Next.js are fast, simple to use, and easy to keep up-to-date. That's why Next.js is a popular choice for building apps.

Let's take a closer look at why Next.js could be the right choice for your business apps ✨

A short overview of Next.js

Next.js is a framework based on React, which is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It's a really powerful tool that helps developers build websites and apps that look great and work smoothly.

Next.js helps developers split their code automatically, supports TypeScript, lets them render their web pages on the server side (SSR), allows dynamic routing and provides static site generation (SSG) capabilities. All of these features make coding faster and easier, so developers can create awesome apps in less time.

👉🏻 Automatic code splitting 👉🏻 TypeScript support 👉🏻 Server Side Rendering 👉🏻 Static Site Generation

One really cool thing about Next.js is the big community. So, if a developer gets stuck on something, they can always ask for help from the Next.js community.

👉🏻 Big support community

Now, let's talk more about some of the special things that Next.js can do:

1. Server-side rendering (SSR)

Server-side rendering (SSR) is a web development technique where web pages are generated and rendered on the server side, and as a result, a fully formatted HTML document is sent directly to the client's browser. This is different from client-side rendering, where your browser gets a simple page and uses JavaScript to finish it.

With Next.js, when you ask for a web page, the server makes the whole page ready for you. You get a full, ready-to-view page right away, instead of a basic one that needs more work from your browser. SSR makes pages load faster, giving you a better experience from the start.

👉🏻 Faster loading of web pages

Also, Next.js helps with SEO (Search Engine Optimization), making it easier for search engines to understand and list your pages. Search engines prefer fully finished pages, and SSR gives them just that. This means more people can find your site when they search online.

👉🏻 SEO: it's easier to find your site while searching online

Another good thing about SSR is that it works well with other server tools, like databases and APIs. This means Next.js apps can talk to these tools directly, giving you dynamic features while still keeping things simple and fast for users.

👉🏻 Dynamic features

2. Static site generation (SSG)

Next.js Static Site Generation (SSG) is a cool feature that pre-renders web pages at the build time.

The website's content is ready to be shown to visitors without needing extra processing from the server each time they visit a page.

The content is rendered and saved to a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

Since the pages are pre-rendered during the build process, less server-side processing is required upon user request. This saves server load and hosting costs and results in a cost-effective process.

👉🏻 Reduced server load and hosting cost

With Next.js, the framework does all the work during the building process. It fetches the needed data, creates the HTML files, and stores them for use later. These files can then be sent out quickly to visitors when they visit the site, making pages load faster and the site work better overall. Again, it's great for SEO and gives users a better experience.

👉🏻 Better processing speed

SSG is super handy for busy websites because it helps handle lots of visitors without slowing down the site. It's ideal for websites that process a large volume of data, such as e-commerce platforms.

3. Routing

Routing in Next.js is a fundamental aspect of building dynamic web applications. Next.js provides a powerful routing system that allows developers to define routes and navigate between different pages seamlessly.

In version Next.js 13, a new App Router concept is introduced which is built on React Server Components, supporting:

• shared layouts
• nested routing
• loading states
• error handling

The App Router works in a directory called app which works along with pages directory to allow for incremental adoption. Each folder represents a route that maps to a URL segment. A special page.js file is used to make route segments publicaly accessible.

For example, a file named page.js in the dasboard subdirectory inside of app corresponds to the /about route in the application.

Next.js also supports dynamic routes, allowing developers to create routes with parameters that can be accessed programmatically. By using brackets ([]) in the folder name, developers can define dynamic segments in the URL. For example, a blog could include the following route pages/blog/[slug].js where [slug] is the Dynamic Segment for blog posts.

👉🏻 Dynamic routing is possible using special brackets notation [] for folder names

In addition to file-based routing, Next.js provides a built-in Link component that enables client-side navigation between pages. The Link component allows developers to create links between pages without triggering a full page reload, resulting in faster navigation and improved user experience.

👉🏻 Link component enables client-side navigation between pages without a full page reload

Next.js also supports server-side routing, enabling developers to handle dynamic routes and API routes directly within the application. Server-side routing allows for more complex routing scenarios and provides greater control over data fetching and rendering.

4. Automatic code splitting

Automatic code splitting is a handy feature in Next.js that breaks down JavaScript bundles into smaller pieces automatically.

Instead of sending the entire JavaScript codebase to the client, Next.js analyzes the application's dependencies and dynamically splits the code into smaller bundles based on the routes or components being accessed. This makes it easier to manage and speeds up how quickly pages load because only the code needed for each page is sent to the user's browser. Plus, since developers don't have to manually configure anything, it saves them a ton of time and effort.

5. Hot reloading

Hot reloading in Next.js allows developers to see code changes in real time without needing to refresh the entire page.

When developers make changes to their code, those changes are immediately reflected in the browser without having to manually reload the page

This feature is powered by Hot Module Replacement (HMR), which replaces modules in the running application with updated versions while the application is running. As a result, developers can instantly see the effects of their code modifications without losing the current state of the application. This not only improves productivity but also allows for more efficient debugging and testing.

FAQ

1. Is Next.js suitable for small & simple or large-scale & complex projects?

Next.js is suitable for projects of all sizes. It offers a streamlined development experience for small projects and powerful tools for managing complexity in large-scale applications. Whether you're building a small prototype or a large production application, Next.js provides the capabilities needed to develop high-quality web projects efficiently.

2. What's the difference between Next.js and React.js?

Next.js is a framework built on top of React, offering additional features and optimizations for building web applications. While React is a JavaScript library focused on building user interfaces, Next.js provides server-side rendering, static site generation, and other features out of the box. Essentially, Next.js extends React's capabilities by adding features like built-in routing, data fetching, and file-based routing. It simplifies common tasks and provides a more structured approach to building web applications compared to React alone.

3. When should I use server-side rendering (SSR) vs. static site generation (SSG) in Next.js?

Server-side rendering (SSR) is ideal for dynamic content that needs to be generated on each request, such as personalized user data or real-time updates. On the other hand, static site generation (SSG) is suitable for content that can be pre-generated at build time and served as static files, resulting in faster page loads and better performance. Choose SSR for dynamic content and SSG for static content that doesn't change frequently.