Getting Started with Next.js: A Developer's Journey

When I first heard about Next.js, I was skeptical. "Another React framework?" I thought. "Do we really need this?" But after spending months working with it, I can confidently say that Next.js has transformed how I approach web development.

Why Next.js?

Next.js solves many problems that developers face when building React applications:

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) - Better SEO and initial page load performance
Static Site Generation (SSG) - Lightning-fast websites with pre-built pages
API Routes - Build your backend and frontend in the same project
Automatic Code Splitting - Only load the JavaScript you need
Built-in CSS Support - Works with CSS Modules, Sass, and CSS-in-JS out of the box

My First Project

My first real Next.js project was rebuilding my personal portfolio. I wanted something that would:

Load quickly
Look great on all devices
Be easy to maintain
Showcase my work effectively

Here's a simple example of how I structured my project:

// pages/index.js
import Head from 'next/head'
import Layout from '../components/Layout'

export default function Home({ posts }) {
  return (
    <Layout>
      <Head>
        <title>Harry Yu - Software Developer</title>
        <meta name="description" content="Personal portfolio and blog" />
      </Head>
      <main>
        <h1>Welcome to my blog!</h1>
        {posts.map(post => (
          <article key={post.id}>
            <h2>{post.title}</h2>
            <p>{post.excerpt}</p>
          </article>
        ))}
      </main>
    </Layout>
  )
}

Key Features I Love

1. File-based Routing

No need to configure complex routing. Just create a file in the pages directory, and Next.js handles the rest.

2. API Routes

Building a contact form? Just create an API route:

// pages/api/contact.js
export default function handler(req, res) {
  if (req.method === 'POST') {
    // Handle form submission
    res.status(200).json({ message: 'Success!' })
  }
}

3. Image Optimization

The next/image component automatically optimizes images for different screen sizes and formats.

Performance Benefits

The performance improvements I saw were immediate:

Faster initial page loads thanks to SSR
Better Core Web Vitals scores
Improved SEO with server-rendered content
Smaller bundle sizes with automatic code splitting

Challenges I Faced

Not everything was smooth sailing. Here are some challenges I encountered:

Learning curve - Understanding when to use SSR vs SSG vs client-side rendering
Deployment complexity - Setting up proper hosting for server-side features
Debugging - Server-side errors can be trickier to debug

Tips for Beginners

If you're just starting with Next.js, here are my recommendations:

Start with the official tutorial
Use create-next-app for your first project
Focus on understanding the different rendering methods
Don't try to use every feature at once

Conclusion

Next.js has become an essential tool in my development toolkit. It strikes the perfect balance between developer experience and performance. Whether you're building a simple blog or a complex web application, Next.js provides the tools you need to succeed.

The ecosystem is mature, the documentation is excellent, and the community is incredibly helpful. If you're working with React and haven't tried Next.js yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot.

What's your experience with Next.js? Have you faced similar challenges, or discovered features that I missed? I'd love to hear your thoughts!