Why You Should Consider Next.js?

In this article our Full Stack Developer Narek Boshyan will talk about Next.js. He’ll mention about its role in simplifying the development of full stack React apps and will draw a comparison with React.js.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a React framework for building full-stack web applications. You use React Components to build user interfaces, and Next.js for additional features and optimizations.

Under the hood, Next.js also abstracts and automatically configures tooling needed for React, like bundling, compiling, and more. This allows you to focus on building your application instead of spending time with configuration.

Whether you’re an individual developer or part of a larger team, Next.js can help you build interactive, dynamic, and fast React applications.

Why would we use next.js over react.js?

React.js:

◦ Think of React.js as the foundation for building the visual part of a website or web application.

◦ It helps in creating interactive and dynamic user interfaces, allowing developers to build components that can be reused across different parts of a website.

Next.js:

◦ Now, imagine Next.js as a tool that makes using React.js even better and more powerful.

◦ It adds extra features to React.js, like helping the website load faster and perform better.

◦ It also makes it easier for developers to organize their code and handle things like showing different content to search engines for better search results.

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG):

◦ These are like techniques to make websites load quickly and show up in search results easily.

◦ SSR is like preparing parts of the website on the server before sending it to your browser, making it load faster.

◦ SSG is like building the website in advance, so when you open a page, it’s already there, again making things load quickly.

Routing:

◦ When you move from one page to another on a website, that’s routing.

◦ Next.js makes it really easy to decide how your website should organize and show different pages when users click around.

Code Splitting:

◦This is like packing your website’s code into smaller pieces so that when you visit a page, you only download what you need. It’s like opening only the chapters of a book you want to read, not the whole book at once.

"Next.js is a React Framework For Building Full Stack React Apps"

 

What is Full Stack Development?

Full Stack development involves working on both the frontend (user interface) and backend (server-side) of a web application. It allows developers to handle the entire application stack.

React for the Frontend: React is typically used for building the frontend of a web application. It handles the user interface, components, and client-side interactions.

Next.js for the Full Stack: Next.js extends React to handle not only the frontend but also provides features for server-side rendering, routing, and backend functionality. It allows developers to build a fullstack application using React for both the frontend and backend aspects.

Next.js vastly simplifies the process of building full stack applications with React

Imagine you’re building a house. React is like the material and tools you use to make the rooms and furniture inside the house look great. But building a house involves more than just the inside; you also need to take care of the structure, doors, and windows.

Now, think of Next.js as the expert architect who makes the whole process much easier. Instead of figuring out how to organize everything on your own, Next.js provides a set of blueprints and tools to help you build both the inside (the beautiful rooms using React) and the outside (the structure and doors).

In simple terms:

React is the toolkit for making things look good inside your digital house (the user interface).

Next.js is like the expert architect that simplifies the entire process of building the digital house, taking care of both the inside (React) and the structure of the house (server-side stuff).

So, when we say “Next.js vastly simplifies the process of building full stack applications with React,” it means that using Next.js makes the entire process of building complex web applications much easier and organized, just like having a helpful expert architect when building a physical house.

 

There Are Two Approaches For Building NextJS App

   ◦ Pages Approach: Pages are like specific spots you want to visit, and you plan each spot individually.

   ◦ App Router Approach: The app router is like your guide that follows the plan and smoothly takes you from one spot to another.

 

So, when we talk about “two approaches for building a Next.js app — app router and pages,” it means you have two ways to plan your journey:

   ◦ Pages: You plan each unique spot (page) individually, like listing down every place you want to visit and what you’ll do there.

   ◦ App Router: You have a smart guide (app router) that knows your entire plan, and it helps you navigate seamlessly from one spot (page) to another, making your journey more organized.

This much for today’s post. Check out the next article where Narek continues talking about Next.js and its features.

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