Building Your First Next.js Application: A Step-by-Step Guide

Building modern web applications can be an overwhelming task due to the vast number of frameworks and libraries available. However, Next.js has become a popular choice among developers for its efficiency and simplicity in creating fast and scalable web applications. In this article, we will guide you through building your first Next.js application using TypeScript, ensuring that you harness the power of type safety and modern JavaScript features.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a React-based framework that enables developers to build server-rendered applications with zero configuration. It offers built-in support for page-based routing, static site generation, API routes, and many other features out of the box, making it a robust choice for both small and large scale projects.

Why Use TypeScript with Next.js?

TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds static types, enhancing code readability and catching errors early in the development process. Using TypeScript with Next.js allows you to build more reliable applications with less runtime errors.

Getting Started

Let’s dive into creating your first Next.js application with TypeScript.

Step 1: Setting Up the Project

Begin by installing Next.js with the following command, which also sets up TypeScript.

npx create-next-app@latest my-next-app --typescript

This command generates a new Next.js application in a directory called my-next-app, pre-configured to use TypeScript.

Step 2: Project Structure

Your newly created Next.js application comes with a starter project structure, including:

• /pages: Contains your application pages. Each file represents a route based on its name (e.g., index.tsx corresponds to the home page).
• /public: Static files such as images can be placed here and will be served at the root URL.
• /styles: Contains CSS modules for styling your application.
• next.config.js: Configuration file for custom Next.js settings.
• tsconfig.json: TypeScript configuration file.

Step 3: Creating Your First Page

Navigate to the /pages directory and open index.tsx. You'll find a basic React component representing the home page. Let's modify this page to display a custom message.

// pages/index.tsx
import React from "react";

const Home: React.FC = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Welcome to My First Next.js App!</h1>
      <p>This application is built with Next.js and TypeScript.</p>
    </div>
  );
};

export default Home;

Step 4: Adding a New Page

Add a new file named about.tsx in the /pages directory to create an "About" page.

// pages/about.tsx
import React from "react";

const About: React.FC = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>About Us</h1>
      <p>This is the About page of our Next.js application.</p>
    </div>
  );
};

export default About;

Step 5: Linking Between Pages

Next.js simplifies navigation between pages using the Link component. Let's link the home page to the about page.

// pages/index.tsx
import React from "react";
import Link from "next/link";

const Home: React.FC = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Welcome to My First Next.js App!</h1>
      <p>This application is built with Next.js and TypeScript.</p>
      <Link href="/about">
        <a>Learn more about us</a>
      </Link>
    </div>
  );
};

export default Home;

Step 6: Styling Your Application

You can easily style your Next.js application using CSS modules. Modify the existing styles/Home.module.css to customize the home page appearance.

/* styles/Home.module.css */
.title {
  color: #0070f3;
  text-align: center;
}

Now, apply this style in your index.tsx page:

// pages/index.tsx
import React from "react";
import Link from "next/link";
import styles from "../styles/Home.module.css";

const Home: React.FC = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1 className={styles.title}>Welcome to My First Next.js App!</h1>
      <p>This application is built with Next.js and TypeScript.</p>
      <Link href="/about">
        <a>Learn more about us</a>
      </Link>
    </div>
  );
};

export default Home;

Step 7: Running the Application

To view your Next.js application, run the development server:

cd my-next-app
npm run dev

Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to see your application in action.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully built your first Next.js application using TypeScript. You’ve learned how to create and link pages, utilize CSS modules for styling, and leverage the benefits of TypeScript in your development process. Next.js offers much more, like API routes, server-side rendering, and static site generation, providing a robust toolkit for modern web development.

As you continue your journey with Next.js, explore these features further to create dynamic and high-performance web applications. Happy coding!