Next.js is a versatile framework with built-in features suitable for modern web development. It has emerged as a powerful tool providing support to the developers for creating high-performance web applications. On the other hand, React helps to create robust and interactive user interface. Next.js facilitates the capability by offering server-side rendering, static site generation, and streamlined routing out of the box. In this blog we will discuss Next.js in detail and a comparison of Next.js vs React.
What is Next.js?
Next.js is a robust open-source framework specifically designed to work with React to build fast and user-friendly web applications and static websites. It simplifies web app development and offers built-in server-side rendering, static site generation, and automatic code-splitting features. It also provides a set of conventions and tools to streamline tasks.
What’s in Next.js?
- Built-in optimizations
- Dynamic HTML streaming
- React server components
- Data fetching
- CSS support
- Client and server rendering
- Server actions
- Route handlers
- Advanced routing and nested layouts
- Middleware
Automatic optimizations of image, fonts, and scripts for improved UX and core web vitals.
Stream user interface (UI) instantly from the server, integrated with the app router and react suspense.
Add React components without sending additional JavaScript to the client side built on the latest React features.
Next.js supports both server and client data through the React component.
Style your applications with tools including CSS Modules, Tailwind CSS, and popular community libraries.
Flexible rendering and caching options including Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) per page.
Run server code by calling a function and easily revalidate cached data and update your UI.
Build API endpoints and securely connect with third-party services for handling authentic webhooks.
Create routes, including support for more advanced routing patterns and UI layouts using file systems.
Take control of the incoming request and use code to define the route. Also access rules for authentication, experiment, and internationalization.
Key features of Next.js
1. Routing:
Routing is essential in web development to determine how an application manages and reacts to various URLs or paths. In Next.js, routing is an important feature, helping developers design and manage their applications’ navigation and page rendering logic. The routing system works in three ways:
- Dynamic routing
- Nested routing
- Index routing
It simplifies the development process and eliminates the necessity for creating separate pages. A single page file can handle multiple variations based on dynamic parameters saving time and effort. Additionally, it reduces code duplication and minimizes maintenance overhead.
It facilitates the creation of hierarchical page structures and automatically reflects the URL structure. It organizes the page files within nested directories inside the pages directory.
It refers to the default route configuration for a directory and allows it to redirect to a default page when a user visits the root URL.
2. Rendering
- Server-side rendering
- Client-side rendering
It is a technique that enables web applications to deliver fully rendered HTML content on the server before sending it to the client. For example, if a user requests a page from the Next.js application, the server accepts and processes it by generating HTML content for that page. The user receives a fully formed HTML page directly from the server rather than the HTML skeletal structure requiring further rendering on the client side. Therefore, performing the rendering on the server optimizes the page loading time and enhances the user experience.
It also improves SEO search as they have difficulty indexing JavaScript-heavy applications relying on client-side rendering. Next.js provides pre-rendered HTML content to search engines. This is more straightforward to crawl and index. It not only enhances visibility but also drives organic traffic to websites and applications.
SSR integrates with existing server-side APIs and backend systems. The applications interact with server-side resources such as databases, external APIs, and authentication systems creating personalized experiences for the users.
The browser downloads a basic HTML skeleton and depends on JavaScript to procure data and render the page.
3. Data fetching
There are three methods for data fetching such as getStaticProps, getServerSideProps, and API routes. It enables them to fetch data from databases, APIs, and other sources to incorporate into their application. Server-side rendering and static site generation also allow data fetching to optimize performance.
In Next.js, leveraging the getStaticProps function is essential for static site generation. When an application undergoes the build process, Next.js executes getStaticProps to fetch data and simultaneously proceeds to generate static HTML files, incorporating the fetched data. This process is ideal for fetching data, as it allows pre-rendering at build time.
In Next.js, getServerSideProps is important when using server-side rendering. When a page is requested, the requisite data are effectively fetched before redirecting the page. It is then integrated as properties into the page component with the necessary data for rendering. This approach is beneficial for data retrieval that requires authentication, access to server-side resources, or frequently changing data.
Developers can create serverless API routes within their applications using pages or API directory. These API routes are capable to handle various HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc., and provides a way to build backend functionality directly to the Next.js application. It also enables seamless integration between client-side and server-side code.
4. Styling
The Next.js supports the preferred styling methods such as CSS modules, Tailwind CSS, and CSS-in-JS.
5. Optimization
It enhances images, font, and scripts to improve your application’s Core Web Vitals and user experience.
6. TypeScript
Improves support for better type checking and more efficient compilation and custom TypeScript Plugin and type checker.
Suggested: How can JavaScript revolutionize your backend with the top frameworks
Pros of using Next.js
- Improve search engine optimization
- Open graph customization
- Enhance performance
- Lazy loading
- Accessibility
Create and maximize the potential of your web application with all the features and interactivity required, ensuring optimal search engine visibility like a static text-based website. Gain a competitive edge with this strategic approach.
Single page applications make it challenging for effectively displaying metadata for each URLs within your web applications. It optimizes SEO and improves the appearance of your URL on social networks.
It mitigates the browser stalling caused by downloading and simultaneously executing large JavaScript code, resulting in improved metrics such as total blocking time (TBT). It also monitors the time duration at which the script blocks the user interaction with the web app. If your TBT is higher, the visibility of your web app to the users increases.
Next.js a provides better user experience. For example, if your website takes time to load then it might happen that the user will exit from the website. So, you need to employ a tool such as a spinning wheel for the user to understand that the page is loading.
Next.js webpages are cross-platform compatible, making them widely accessible.
Cons of using Next.js
- Routing
- Build time
Next.js is limited to some projects and is used only for file routers. If you need to use dynamic routes, you need a Node.js server.
Next.js supports the static structure of the entire website content. Further, creating apps with multiple pages can be time-consuming.
Next.js Vs React
| Attributes | Next.js | React |
| Type | It is a framework built on top of React. | It is a JavaScript library for building user interface. |
| Rendering | Supports client-side, server-side rendering, and static site generation (SSG). Extremely fast rendering. | Supports client-side rendering. |
| Server-side rendering | Supports server-side rendering. | Possible with additional setup. |
| Features | Automatic code splitting, CSS support, TypeScript support, and API routes. | Core functionality for building UI components. |
| Documentation | Learn-by-doing tutorials like component creation, development, integration, and guiding. | Similar design – few introductory activities to explain fundamentals. |
