Next.js 14: A Tutorial for Building a Basic Blog Application

As an experienced developer, understanding Next.js is crucial. This powerful React framework offers several advantages which will go through in the next section.
Learning Next.js empowers you to build efficient, scalable, and modern web applications. 🚀

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a React framework that addresses common challenges faced when building web applications. It offers an excellent developer experience and comes with built-in features such as:

1. Page-Based Routing: Next.js provides an intuitive routing system for your pages, including support for dynamic routes.
2. Pre-rendering: You can choose between static generation (SSG) and server-side rendering (SSR) on a per-page basis.
3. Automatic Code Splitting: Faster page loads are achieved through automatic code splitting.
4. Client-Side Routing: Optimized prefetching ensures smooth navigation.
5. CSS and Sass Support: Next.js includes built-in CSS and Sass support, and it works with any CSS-in-JS library.
6. API Routes: Easily create API endpoints using Serverless Functions.

Getting Started with Next.js

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have basic knowledge of JavaScript and React. If you’re new to React, consider going through the official React tutorial first.

Creating a Simple Blog App

Let’s create a basic blog app using Next.js. Follow these steps:

1. Initialize a New Next.js App:

   • Open your terminal and run the following command:
     

     npx create-next-app my-blog
     
     

2. Navigate to Your Project Directory:

   • navigate to the folder created by the previous command

   cd my-blog
   
   

3. Start the Development Server:

   • to run local dev server

   npm run dev
   
   

4. Create a New Page:

   • under the app, create a new directory called blog and add new file page.js.

   • Add the following content to page.js:
     

     /blog/page.js
     const Blog = () => {
       return <div>Welcome to my blog!</div>;
     };
     
     export default Blog;
     
     

5. View Your App:

   • Open your browser and visit http://localhost:3000.
   • You’ll see the “Welcome to my blog!” message when you visit /blog.

6. Add More Pages:

   • Create additional pages (e.g., about.js, contact.js) under about and contact directory.
   • Each page should export a React component.
   • More information about how pages and layouts works

7. Styling:

   • Next.js supports CSS modules, so you can create a styles.module.css file in your component folder.
   • Import styles into your components and apply them as needed.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve created a simple Next.js blog app. Feel free to explore more features, such as dynamic routing, data fetching, and API routes here. Next.js is widely used by production-facing websites and web applications, including some of the world’s largest brands.

Remember, the best way to learn is by building, so keep experimenting and enjoy your journey with Next.js! 🎉

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!

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Happy coding! 🚀