Next.js 14: A Tutorial for Building a Basic Blog Application
Tags: nextjs, react, tutorial, beginners
Published: 2024-02-06 13:26:28


As an experienced developer, understanding **Next.js** is crucial. This powerful React framework offers several advantages which will go through in the next section.
Learning Next.js empowers you to build efficient, scalable, and modern web applications. [🚀](https://pagepro.co/blog/what-is-nextjs/)

## What is Next.js?

**Next.js** is a React framework that addresses common challenges faced when building web applications. It offers an excellent developer experience and comes with built-in features such as:

1. **Page-Based Routing**: Next.js provides an intuitive routing system for your pages, including support for dynamic routes.
2. **Pre-rendering**: You can choose between static generation (SSG) and server-side rendering (SSR) on a per-page basis.
3. **Automatic Code Splitting**: Faster page loads are achieved through automatic code splitting.
4. **Client-Side Routing**: Optimized prefetching ensures smooth navigation.
5. **CSS and Sass Support**: Next.js includes built-in CSS and Sass support, and it works with any CSS-in-JS library.
6. **API Routes**: Easily create API endpoints using Serverless Functions.

## Getting Started with Next.js

### Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have basic knowledge of **[JavaScript](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript)** and **[React](https://react.dev/)**. If you’re new to React, consider going through the official React tutorial first.

### Creating a Simple Blog App

Let’s create a basic blog app using Next.js. Follow these steps:

1. **Initialize a New Next.js App**:
    - Open your terminal and run the following command:
        
        ```
        npx create-next-app my-blog
        
        ```
        
   
2. **Navigate to Your Project Directory**:
     - navigate to the folder created by the previous command
    
    ```
    cd my-blog
    
    ```
    
3. **Start the Development Server**:
     - to run local dev server  
    
    ```
    npm run dev
    
    ```
    
4. **Create a New Page**:
    - under the `app`, create a new directory called `blog` and add new file `page.js`.
    - Add the following content to `page.js`:
        
        ```jsx
        /blog/page.js
        const Blog = () => {
          return <div>Welcome to my blog!</div>;
        };
        
        export default Blog;
        
        ```
        
5. **View Your App**:
    - Open your browser and visit http://localhost:3000.
    - You’ll see the “Welcome to my blog!” message when you visit /blog.
6. **Add More Pages**:
    - Create additional pages (e.g., `about.js`, `contact.js`) under about and contact directory.
    - Each page should export a React component.
    - More [information ](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/pages-and-layouts)about how pages and layouts works 
7. **Styling**:
    - Next.js supports CSS modules, so you can create a `styles.module.css` file in your component folder.
    - Import styles into your components and apply them as needed.

### Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve created a simple Next.js blog app. Feel free to explore more features, such as dynamic routing, data fetching, and API routes [here](https://nextjs.org/learn-pages-router/basics/create-nextjs-app). Next.js is widely used by production-facing websites and web applications, including some of the world’s largest brands. 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8u7nx3dg557vnsqvfkyo.png)


Remember, the best way to learn is by building, so keep experimenting and enjoy your journey with Next.js! 🎉

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me! 

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Happy coding! 🚀