Building Dynamic Apps with Next.js

In the world of React applications, Next.js has emerged as a powerful framework that enhances productivity, performance, and the overall developer experience.

The Power of Next.js

React is renowned for its interactive UIs and declarative views. However, when it comes to SEO and initial page load times, traditionally built React apps may falter. This is where Next.js leaps in, providing a server-side rendering solution that optimizes React applications.

function HelloWorld() {
  return (
    <h1>Hello World!</h1>
  )
}
 
export default HelloWorld

The simplicity of creating a Next.js page is as above. Each file in the pages directory automatically becomes a route based on its file name.

Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

SSR optimizes your application for search engines while improving performance. Next.js pre-renders each page on the server, meaning the server sends a fully rendered page to the client, and the JavaScript bundle takes over, enabling a seamless user experience.

The getInitialProps Method

The getInitialProps method is unique to Next.js. It fetches data and passes it as props to your page. The component containing getInitialProps operates on the server for the initial page load, optimizing performance.

class UserList extends React.Component {
  static async getInitialProps() {
    const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/users');
    const userList = await response.json();
    return { userList }
  }
 
  render() {
    return (
      <ul>
        {this.props.userList.map((user) =>
          <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
        )}
      </ul>
    )
  }
}
 
export default UserList

In this example, getInitialProps fetches data from an API and passes it as props to the UserList component. On initial page load, this fetches data on the server, improving performance.

In conclusion

Whether you're building a large scale e-commerce site or a personal blog, Next.js equips you to build efficient, high-performing React applications. By simplifying routing, enabling SSR, and more, Next.js should be a serious consideration for your next React project.