Getting Started with Next.js: A Comprehensive Guide

Learn how to build modern web applications with Next.js, from setup to deployment.

Ege Bilge

Founder & Developer at codebiy.com

March 13, 20258 min read

Getting Started with Next.js: A Comprehensive Guide

Next.js has become one of the most popular React frameworks for building modern web applications. It provides a powerful set of features that make it an excellent choice for both small and large-scale projects. In this guide, we'll walk through everything you need to know to get started with Next.js.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a React framework that enables functionality such as server-side rendering, static site generation, and API routes. It's designed to provide the best developer experience with all the features you need for production.

Why Choose Next.js?

There are several reasons why Next.js has become a popular choice:

Server-side rendering (SSR): Improves performance and SEO by rendering pages on the server
Static site generation (SSG): Pre-renders pages at build time for even better performance
Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR): Updates static pages after deployment without rebuilding the entire site
API Routes: Build API endpoints as part of your Next.js application
File-based routing: Create routes based on the file structure in your pages directory
Built-in CSS and Sass support: Style your application with ease
Image Optimization: Automatically optimize images for better performance
Zero Configuration: Works out of the box with sensible defaults

Setting Up Your First Next.js Project

Let's start by creating a new Next.js project. You'll need Node.js installed on your machine.

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

This will create a new Next.js project and start the development server. You can now open your browser and navigate to

http://localhost:3000

to see your application.

Understanding the File Structure

Next.js uses a file-based routing system. Here's a basic overview of the file structure:

```
pages/
```
: Contains all your pages and API routes
```
public/
```
: Stores static assets like images and fonts
```
styles/
```
: Contains your CSS or SCSS files
```
components/
```
: A common place to store your React components

Creating Your First Page

In Next.js, each file in the

pages

directory becomes a route. For example,

pages/about.js

will be accessible at

/about

Let's create a simple about page:

// pages/about.js
export default function About() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>About Us</h1>
      <p>This is the about page of our Next.js application.</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Data Fetching

Next.js provides several ways to fetch data for your pages:

getStaticProps

Use

getStaticProps

to fetch data at build time:

export async function getStaticProps() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
  const data = await res.json();

  return {
    props: {
      data,
    },
  };
}

getServerSideProps

Use

getServerSideProps

to fetch data on each request:

export async function getServerSideProps() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
  const data = await res.json();

  return {
    props: {
      data,
    },
  };
}

Styling Your Application

Next.js supports various styling options:

CSS Modules

// Import the CSS module
import styles from './Button.module.css';

// Use the styles
export default function Button() {
  return (
    <button className={styles.button}>Click me</button>
  );
}

Global CSS

// pages/_app.js
import '../styles/globals.css';

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return <Component {...pageProps} />;
}

export default MyApp;

Deploying Your Next.js Application

Next.js applications can be deployed to various platforms. The easiest way is to use Vercel, the company behind Next.js:

Push your code to a Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket)
Import your repository to Vercel
Vercel will automatically detect that you're using Next.js and configure the build settings
Click "Deploy"

Conclusion

Next.js provides a powerful and flexible framework for building modern web applications. With its built-in features like server-side rendering, static site generation, and API routes, it's an excellent choice for developers looking to build high-performance React applications.

This guide has only scratched the surface of what's possible with Next.js. As you continue your journey, explore the official documentation and community resources to learn more about advanced features and best practices.

Happy coding!

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Getting Started with Next.js: A Comprehensive Guide

Getting Started with Next.js: A Comprehensive Guide

What is Next.js?

Why Choose Next.js?

Setting Up Your First Next.js Project

Understanding the File Structure

Creating Your First Page

Data Fetching

getStaticProps

getServerSideProps

Styling Your Application

CSS Modules

Global CSS

Deploying Your Next.js Application

Conclusion

About Ege Bilge

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