Why Next.js Might Be Worth Considering for Your Next Project

Introduction:

I'm always on the lookout for the latest and greatest technologies that can help me and my team build better products faster. In recent years, one framework that has been gaining a lot of traction in the frontend community is Next.js. In this article, I want to share my perspective on why Next.js is such a helpful framework for frontend development, based on my experience using it in a project to modernize a web app.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a React-based framework for building server-side rendered (SSR) web applications. It was created by Zeit, a company that was acquired by Vercel in 2019. One of the main benefits of Next.js is that it provides a set of conventions and tools that make it easier to build complex web applications without having to worry about the low-level details of SSR and client-side rendering (CSR).

Some of the key features of Next.js include:

• Server-side rendering (SSR) of React components: Next.js can render React components on the server and send HTML to the client, which can improve the initial load time and the SEO of the application.
• Automatic code splitting: Next.js can split the JavaScript code into smaller chunks and load them on demand, which can reduce the initial download size and the time to interactive of the application.
• Hot module replacement (HMR): Next.js can replace modules in the browser without a full reload, which can speed up the development workflow and make it easier to iterate on the code.
• File-based routing: Next.js uses the file system as the primary way to define the routes of the application, which can make it easier to organize and navigate the code.

Benefits of using Next.js

Now that we've seen what Next.js is, let's dive into some of the key benefits of using it in a real-world project.

Improved performance: In our project, we found that Next.js helped us improve the performance of the web app in several ways. First, by using SSR, we were able to reduce the time to first byte (TTFB) and the time to first meaningful paint (TTMP), which are critical metrics for user experience and SEO. Second, by using automatic code splitting, we were able to reduce the initial JavaScript payload and load only the necessary code for each page, which improved the time to interactive (TTI) and reduced the risk of JavaScript errors. Third, by using HMR, we were able to speed up the development workflow and iterate on the code more quickly.

Simplified development workflow: Another benefit of using Next.js is that it provides a set of conventions and tools that make it easier to maintain and update the codebase. For example, by using file-based routing, we were able to easily add new pages and API endpoints without having to modify a central routing configuration. By using the built-in CSS and Sass support, we were able to organize our styles in a modular and scalable way. By using the built-in API routes, we were able to handle server-side logic without having to set up a separate server. All of these features made our development workflow smoother and more efficient.

Conclusion

Next.js is a powerful and flexible framework that can help frontend developers build high-performance, scalable, and maintainable web applications. Whether you're building a new project from scratch or modernizing an existing one, Next.js is worth considering for its features, benefits, and community support. As a frontend engineer, I'm excited to see how Next.js will continue to evolve and empower developers to build better products faster.