Building Web Applications with Next.js

Next.js makes it easier to develop web applications that are ready for production. It offers a structured framework with powerful features to enhance performance and developer experience.

Why Choose Next.js?

Here are some key features that make Next.js a preferred choice for building modern web applications:

• Routing – Built-in file-based routing system
• API Routes – Easily create backend endpoints within your project
• Rendering – Supports multiple rendering methods (Static Generation, Server-side Rendering)
• Data Fetching – Seamless integration with async/await for fetching data
• Styling – Supports multiple styling options, including CSS Modules and Tailwind CSS
• Optimization – Built-in performance improvements for images, links, and scripts
• Development & Production Builds – Optimized build system for faster development and efficient production deployment

Prerequisites

Before getting started with Next.js, you should be familiar with the following technologies:

• HTML – Basic understanding of structuring web pages
• CSS – Knowledge of styling web elements
• Modern JavaScript – Understanding ES6+ features
• React Fundamentals – Experience with function components, state management, hooks, and props

Setting Up Your First Next.js Project

Requirements

To start working with Next.js, ensure that you have the following:

• Node.js version 18 or later
• A code editor such as VS Code

Creating a New Next.js Application

To create a new Next.js project, follow these steps:

1. Open your terminal:

   • On Windows: Press Ctrl + (Backtick)
   • On macOS: Press CMD + (Backtick)

2. Run the following command to initialize a Next.js project:

   npx create-next-app@latest

3. You will be prompted with several configuration questions:

   • Project Name – Enter the name of your project
   • Use TypeScript? – Choose Yes or No
   • Use ESLint? – Choose Yes or No
   • Use Tailwind CSS? – Choose Yes or No
   • Use a src/ directory? – Choose Yes or No (Selecting Yes organizes your project by placing key files inside a dedicated src directory, improving maintainability.)
   • Use App Router? – Choose Yes or No
   • Use Turbopack for faster development? – Choose Yes or No
   • Customize the import alias? – Choose No

Understanding the src/ Directory

If you opt to use the src/ directory, your project structure will look like this:

project-name/
│── src/
│   ├── app/  # Application entry point for App Router (if selected)
│   ├── pages/  # Page-based routing (if using Pages Router)
│   ├── components/  # Reusable components
│   ├── styles/  # CSS files for styling
│   ├── utils/  # Utility functions (optional)
│── public/  # Static assets like images, icons, and fonts
│── package.json  # Dependencies and scripts
│── next.config.js  # Next.js configuration

The src/ directory helps keep your codebase structured and organized, separating core application logic from configuration and assets.

Running Your Next.js Project

Once the setup is complete, navigate into your project directory:

cd project-name

Then, start the development server:

npm run dev

After running the command, you will see an output indicating that the development server is running at http://localhost:3000.

To open the application in your browser, press Ctrl + Left Click or CMD + Left Click on the URL.