Getting Started with Next.js 16

Next.js has become one of the most popular React frameworks, and version 16 brings some exciting new features. Let's dive into building your first Next.js app!

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a React framework that provides a great developer experience with features like:

• Server-side rendering for better performance and SEO
• File-based routing - no need to configure routes
• API routes - build your backend alongside your frontend
• Built-in optimization for images, fonts, and more

Creating Your First App

The easiest way to get started is with create-next-app:

npx create-next-app@latest my-app
cd my-app
npm run dev

This sets up a new Next.js project with all the recommended configurations.

Key Concepts

File-Based Routing

Every file in the app directory becomes a route:

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

Server Components

By default, all components in Next.js 16 are Server Components, which means they render on the server. This improves performance and reduces JavaScript sent to the client.

Data Fetching

Fetching data is as simple as using async/await in your components:

async function getData() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data')
  if (!res.ok) {
    throw new Error(`Failed to fetch data: ${res.status}`)
  }
  return res.json()
}
 
export default async function Page() {
  const data = await getData()
  return <div>{data.title}</div>
}

Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics, explore:

• Dynamic routing and catch-all routes
• proxy.ts for network-boundary request handling; note: middleware.ts was replaced with proxy.ts in Next.js 16
• API routes for building your backend
• Deployment on Vercel

Happy coding!