Getting Started with Next.js: A Beginner's Guide

Next.js is a powerful React framework that enables you to build server-rendered React applications with ease. It provides a robust set of features for building production-ready applications, including file-system based routing, API routes, and built-in CSS support.

Key Features of Next.js

• File-system Routing: Create pages by simply adding files to the `pages` directory.
• API Routes: Build your backend API directly within your Next.js project.
• Server-Side Rendering (SSR) & Static Site Generation (SSG): Choose the rendering strategy that best fits your needs for performance and SEO.
• Optimized for Production: Automatic code splitting, image optimization, and more.

Setting Up Your First Next.js Project

To get started, ensure you have Node.js installed. Then, open your terminal and run:

npx create-next-app my-next-app

Follow the prompts, and once the project is created, navigate into your new directory and run:

npm run dev

This will start the development server, and you can view your application at `http://localhost:3000`.

Building a Simple Page

Open `pages/index.js` (or `app/page.tsx` if using the App Router) and you'll see the default content. You can modify this file to create your first page. For example:

function HomePage() {
  return <h1>Welcome to Next.js!</h1>
}

export default HomePage

Next.js handles the routing automatically. If you create `pages/about.js`, it will be accessible at `/about`.

Next.js is constantly evolving, offering new features and improvements. Keep an eye on the official documentation for the latest updates and best practices.