Getting Started with Next.js

Next.js has become one of the most popular frameworks for building modern web applications. In this post, I'll walk through the key features that make it a great choice for your next project.

Why Next.js?

Next.js provides a great developer experience with features like:

• File-based routing - Create pages by adding files to the app/ directory
• Server-side rendering - Pages are rendered on the server for better performance and SEO
• Static site generation - Pre-render pages at build time for the fastest possible load times
• API routes - Build your backend API alongside your frontend

Getting Started

First, create a new Next.js project:

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

This gives you a fully configured project with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and ESLint out of the box.

The App Router

The App Router is the recommended way to build Next.js applications. It uses React Server Components by default and supports:

• Layouts and nested layouts
• Loading and error states
• Server and client components
• Streaming and suspense

Conclusion

Next.js makes it easy to build fast, modern web applications. Whether you're building a simple blog or a complex web app, it has the tools you need to get the job done.