Understanding Next.js

Next.js has revolutionized the way we build React applications. It provides a robust framework for creating server-side rendered and statically generated React apps. Let's explore some key features of Next.js.

1. File-based Routing

Next.js uses a file-system based router. Pages are associated with a route based on their file name. This intuitive system makes it easy to build and scale your application.

2. API Routes

With API routes, you can easily create API endpoints as part of your Next.js application. This is great for building full-stack applications without needing a separate backend server.

3. Static Site Generation (SSG) and Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

Next.js supports both SSG and SSR out of the box. You can choose the rendering method on a per-page basis, allowing you to optimize for performance and SEO.

Conclusion

Next.js provides a powerful toolkit for building modern web applications. Its features like automatic code splitting, optimized prefetching, and hybrid rendering make it an excellent choice for building fast, SEO-friendly React applications.