Getting Started with Next.js

Next.js is a powerful React framework that makes building web applications a breeze. In this post, we'll explore its key features and benefits.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a production-ready React framework that provides:

• Server-side rendering (SSR)
• Static site generation (SSG)
• API routes
• Automatic code splitting
• Built-in CSS support
• Image optimization

Key Features

1. File-based Routing

Next.js uses a file-based routing system. Simply create files in the pages directory:

pages/
  index.js          → /
  about.js          → /about
  blog/
    index.js        → /blog
    [slug].js       → /blog/:slug

2. Static Generation

Generate static pages at build time for better performance:

export async function getStaticProps() {
  const data = await fetchData();
  
  return {
    props: {
      data,
    },
  };
}

3. API Routes

Create API endpoints easily:

// pages/api/hello.js
export default function handler(req, res) {
  res.status(200).json({ message: 'Hello World!' });
}

Why Choose Next.js?

1. Performance - Automatic optimizations
2. SEO-friendly - Server-side rendering
3. Developer Experience - Hot reloading, error reporting
4. Scalability - Built for production

Getting Started

To create a new Next.js project:

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

That's it! Your Next.js application is now running on http://localhost:3000.

Conclusion

Next.js is an excellent choice for modern web development. Its combination of performance, developer experience, and production-ready features makes it perfect for projects of any size.

Happy coding! 🚀