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Next.js Intro

Next.js is an open source framework built on React and Node.sj that allows for SSR (Server Side Rendering) using .jsx components and a react-style workflow. This is in contrast to react's typical CSR (client side rendering), and comes with certain advantages and caveats.

It is maintained by Vercel who provides excellent documentation and extremely easy deploymment.

Lesson Objectives

  • Understand the differences between SSR and CSR
  • Know the different applications of SSR and CSR
  • Create a Next.js app and get aquianted with the Next.js framework
  • Deploy a Next.js app to vercel
  • Use a multibranch workflow for CI management

SSR vs CSR

React apps are usually 'single page apps' that are sent over as a bundle of javascript to the client and dynamically update what the user is seeing by generic content on the fly. This is called client side rendering or CSR.

CSR Flowchart

Next.js uses .jsx and React to perform server side rendering or SSR. Next.js pre-renders html from the .jsx you write and sends it over to the client. Next.js also allows you to build a data API in the same project folder as your Next app, so there is no need for an express server.

pros-cons

When to use CSR vs SSR?

The short answer is CSR is good for web apps and SSR is best for static sites, but what is the difference between an app and a static site?

Web apps generally have a great deal more user interaction than a static site, for example:

What then is a static site?

  • Blogs
  • Primarily text content
  • Documentation and wiki type sites

Next.js Cheatsheet

  • npm i -g create-next-app to install creat-next-app globally
  • create-next-app <app-name> to create a next app in a directory called <app-name>
  • npm run dev will run a script that builds your next app and fires up the server for live reload

Using Next.js

  • the public folder is static (you can config the favicon here)
  • the styles folder is for css -- globals.css is applied everywhere
  • the api folder is where the data api lives
  • routes are made in the pages folder and .jsx components -- remember to lower case the file names!
  • the <Head> Component in your index.js is like the head of an html file.
  • if you want to make child components, they should be put in a folder called components that is a sibling of pages

Next.js Resources

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