Getting Started with Next.js 15

Next.js 15 introduces several exciting features that make building web applications faster and more efficient. In this post, we'll explore the key features and how to get started.

Key Features

1. App Router

The App Router is a new paradigm for building Next.js applications:

// app/page.tsx
export default function HomePage() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Welcome to Next.js 15</h1>
      <p>Build faster, more efficient web applications</p>
    </div>
  );
}

2. React Server Components

Server Components are the default in Next.js 15:

// This component runs on the server
async function getData() {
  const res = await fetch("https://api.example.com/data");
  return res.json();
}
 
export default async function Page() {
  const data = await getData();
 
  return (
    <div>
      {data.map((item) => (
        <div key={item.id}>{item.name}</div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

3. Improved Data Fetching

Next.js 15 simplifies data fetching with built-in caching:

// Cached by default
const data = await fetch("https://api.example.com/data");
 
// Opt out of caching
const realtimeData = await fetch("https://api.example.com/data", {
  cache: "no-store",
});
 
// Revalidate cache every 60 seconds
const revalidatedData = await fetch("https://api.example.com/data", {
  next: { revalidate: 60 },
});

Getting Started

1. Create a new Next.js project:

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

2. Navigate to the project directory:

cd my-app

3. Start the development server:

pnpm dev

Best Practices

1. Use TypeScript: Enable type safety for better development experience
2. Implement Server Components: Reduce client-side JavaScript
3. Optimize Images: Use the built-in Image component
4. Handle Loading States: Implement Suspense boundaries
5. Error Handling: Use error.tsx files for error boundaries

Conclusion

Next.js 15 provides a powerful foundation for building modern web applications. With features like the App Router and Server Components, you can create faster, more efficient applications with less code.

Stay tuned for more posts about Next.js development!