Why I Love Building with Next.js

As a developer who recently transitioned into the world of web development, finding the right tools and frameworks has been crucial to my success. Among all the technologies I've worked with, Next.js has quickly become my favorite framework for building web applications. Here's why I love it and why you might want to consider it for your next project.

The Perfect Balance of Flexibility and Structure

One of the things I appreciate most about Next.js is how it strikes the perfect balance between providing helpful structure and allowing flexibility. Coming from a background in logistics where systems and processes are essential, I value frameworks that offer clear patterns without being overly restrictive.

Next.js provides conventions that make sense (like file-based routing) while still giving developers the freedom to organize their code in a way that works for their specific project. This balance makes it approachable for newcomers while remaining powerful enough for complex applications.

Server Components Changed Everything

The introduction of React Server Components in Next.js 13+ was a game-changer for how I build applications. The ability to render components on the server has numerous benefits:

• Improved performance: Server components reduce the JavaScript sent to the client, resulting in faster page loads.
• Simplified data fetching: Fetching data directly in server components eliminates the need for client-side data fetching libraries in many cases.
• Better SEO: Server-rendered content is more easily indexed by search engines.

Here's a simple example of a server component that fetches data:

// app/products/page.tsx
async function getProducts() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/products')
  return res.json()
}

export default async function ProductsPage() {
  const products = await getProducts()
  
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Products</h1>
      <ul>
        {products.map(product => (
          <li key={product.id}>{product.name}</li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  )
}

The simplicity of this approach compared to client-side data fetching with useEffect or SWR is remarkable.

File-Based Routing Makes Sense

Coming from a logistics background where organization is key, Next.js's file-based routing system immediately made sense to me. The structure of your application's files directly maps to your URL structure, making it intuitive to understand how routing works.

For example:

• app/page.tsx → /
• app/about/page.tsx → /about
• app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx → /blog/:slug

This approach eliminates the need for a separate router configuration file and makes it easy to understand the structure of your application at a glance.

Server Actions Simplify Form Handling

Working with forms has traditionally been one of the more cumbersome aspects of web development. Next.js Server Actions have simplified this process significantly. Being able to define a server function right next to your form markup creates a more cohesive development experience.

Here's a simple example:

// app/contact/page.tsx
export default function ContactPage() {
  async function submitForm(formData) {
    'use server'
    const email = formData.get('email')
    const message = formData.get('message')
    
    // Process the form data on the server
    await saveMessageToDatabase({ email, message })
    
    // Return a result that the client can use
    return { success: true }
  }
  
  return (
    <form action={submitForm}>
      <input name="email" type="email" required />
      <textarea name="message" required></textarea>
      <button type="submit">Send Message</button>
    </form>
  )
}

This approach reduces the need for client-side form libraries in many cases and provides a more straightforward way to handle form submissions.

Image Optimization Out of the Box

The next/image component has saved me countless hours of work by handling image optimization automatically. It:

• Automatically serves images in modern formats like WebP when supported
• Resizes images to avoid shipping large images to small screens
• Lazy loads images by default, improving page performance
• Prevents layout shift with proper sizing

These optimizations would take significant effort to implement manually, but Next.js provides them out of the box.

Deployment Simplicity with Vercel

While Next.js works with any hosting provider, the seamless integration with Vercel makes deployment incredibly simple. The zero-configuration approach means I can focus on building features rather than configuring deployment pipelines.

Features like preview deployments for pull requests have improved my workflow significantly, allowing stakeholders to review changes before they go to production.

Conclusion

As someone who values efficiency and organization from my logistics background, Next.js provides the perfect framework for building modern web applications. Its balance of structure and flexibility, powerful features like Server Components and Server Actions, and excellent developer experience make it my go-to choice for new projects.

Whether you're building a simple portfolio site or a complex application, Next.js provides the tools you need to create fast, SEO-friendly, and developer-friendly web experiences.