Getting Started with Next.js 14: A Complete Guide

Next.js has become one of the most popular frameworks for building React applications. With the introduction of the App Router in version 13, and further improvements in version 14, it's never been easier to build fast, scalable web applications.

Why Next.js?

Next.js offers several advantages over a vanilla React setup:

Server-side rendering (SSR) for better SEO and initial load performance
Static site generation (SSG) for blazing-fast static pages
File-based routing that's intuitive and easy to understand
Built-in API routes for backend functionality
Automatic code splitting for optimal performance

Setting Up Your Project

Getting started with Next.js is straightforward. You can create a new project with a single command:

npx create-next-app@latest my-app

This will prompt you for some configuration options:

Would you like to use TypeScript? Yes
Would you like to use ESLint? Yes
Would you like to use Tailwind CSS? Yes
Would you like to use `src/` directory? No
Would you like to use App Router? Yes

Understanding the App Router

The App Router introduces a new paradigm for building Next.js applications. Here's a basic page component:

// app/page.tsx
export default function Home() {
  return (
    <main>
      <h1>Welcome to my app!</h1>
    </main>
  )
}

Layouts

Layouts allow you to share UI between routes. Create a layout.tsx file:

// app/layout.tsx
export default function RootLayout({
  children,
}: {
  children: React.ReactNode
}) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body>{children}</body>
    </html>
  )
}

Dynamic Routes

Create dynamic routes using brackets in the folder name:

// app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx
interface Props {
  params: { slug: string }
}
 
export default function BlogPost({ params }: Props) {
  return <h1>Post: {params.slug}</h1>
}

Data Fetching

With the App Router, you can fetch data directly in Server Components:

async function getPosts() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts')
  return res.json()
}
 
export default async function Blog() {
  const posts = await getPosts()
 
  return (
    <ul>
      {posts.map((post) => (
        <li key={post.id}>{post.title}</li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  )
}

Conclusion

Next.js 14 provides an excellent developer experience while delivering outstanding performance. Whether you're building a simple blog or a complex web application, Next.js has the tools you need.

In future posts, I'll dive deeper into specific features like:

Server Actions
Parallel and intercepted routes
Streaming and Suspense
Optimizing images and fonts

Stay tuned!