From Chaos to Clarity: How Next.js Streamlines Routing
Tags: reactrouterdom, nextjsappfolder, nextjs
Published: 2024-02-10 20:10:44

Remember grappling with react-router-dom in your React apps? Manually defining routes, configuring components, and wrangling nested structures was a headache. Well, fear not! Next.js introduces a game-changer: the app folder. Ditch the complexity and embrace an intuitive, organized file-based system for effortless routing.
If you are seeing this, it is assumed you have a basic knowledge of react and it's envrions. Aswell as the use of react-router-dom library which is a tool used to route between various pages in your application.
Before we go any further let's compare the two and see why Next.js makes everything easier:
**The Old Way: react-router-dom**
- Configuration heavy: You needed to define routes in a separate file, manually mapping URLs to components.
- Potential confusion: Nested routes and dynamic parameters could lead to complex configurations and debugging challenges.
- Separate components: Your page components and routing logic lived in different files, adding an extra layer of complexity.
Below is an image of how using react-router-dom library could could look like

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xmjj8hv4aa1cfwevmrq2.png)

**The New Way: Next.js app Folder**
- Simplicity is king: Each file within the app folder represents a unique page. No more complex configurations – Next.js magically detects and renders them. Just name a file page.js or page.ts, and boom! You have a new page.
- Intuitive and maintainable: The file structure directly mirrors your website's layout, making navigation and code management a breeze.
- Components and routes combined: Each page file holds both your component and its corresponding route, leading to cleaner and more cohesive code.

Below is an image showing the typical folder structure of nextjs folder structure

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ovjm7gdesh48bt0cbvpd.png)


As you can see in the image, different subfolders like `about`, `blog`, `login`, and `register` exist within the app folder. Each folder contains a file named `page.js` or `page.ts` representing its content. Simply by visiting the URL corresponding to the folder name (e.g., `/about`, `/blog`, etc.), you can access the content of each page, making navigation incredibly intuitive.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/a4daoaawrfgms5gsupr3.png)

Voilà! As you can see in the image below, simply starting your app and visiting the URL corresponding to the folder name (e.g., `/login`) directly links you to its content. In this example, we're accessing the login page by visiting `/login`, showcasing the intuitive file-based routing of Next.js.

## Conclusion
Remember those days grappling with react-router-dom? I certainly do! Manually defining routes, wrangling nested structures, and debugging complex configurations – it was a constant headache. But then I discovered Next.js and its magical app folder. Let me tell you, it was a game-changer!

Since using Next.js, I haven't even considered going back to traditional React routing. The intuitive file-based system is incredibly simple and efficient. Building and managing pages is a breeze, resulting in fantastic project organization. Gone are the days of separate configurations and confusing logic – with Next.js, everything just clicks!

But you don't just have to take my word for it. Share your own experiences with react-router-dom and Next.js in the comments below! What challenges did you face, and how has Next.js simplified your routing process? Let's build a community around simplifying development by embracing Next.js together. Feel free to ask questions in the comments to continue the conversation.

Join the growing community of developers who've embraced Next.js for effortless routing! Start exploring Next.js documentation (https://nextjs.org/docs/getting-started/installation) and jump into the world of effortless routing today!