Getting Started with Next.js

Next.js is a React framework that enables several extra features, including server-side rendering and generating static websites.

Why Next.js?

• Server-side Rendering: Generates HTML on each request
• Static Site Generation: Generates HTML at build time
• CSS and Sass Support: Built-in support for CSS and Sass
• API Routes: Create API endpoints as Node.js serverless functions

Installation

To create a Next.js app, run:

npx create-next-app@latest my-next-app

File-based Routing

Next.js has a file-system based router built on the concept of pages. When a file is added to the pages directory, it's automatically available as a route.

Data Fetching

Next.js provides multiple ways to fetch data:

1. getStaticProps: Fetch data at build time
2. getStaticPaths: Specify dynamic routes to pre-render
3. getServerSideProps: Fetch data on each request

Conclusion

Next.js simplifies the development of React applications by providing a structured framework with powerful features out of the box.