Next.js Full Course 2024 | Learn Next.js 14 In One Video | 14 Hours

Introduction

This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide to learning Next.js 14, covering everything from project setup to advanced features. You will gain a solid understanding of the framework and its capabilities, enabling you to build modern web applications effectively.

Step 1: Create a Next.js Project

1. Install Node.js if you haven’t already. You can download it from nodejs.org.
2. Open your terminal or command prompt.
3. Run the following command to create a new Next.js project:

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

4. Navigate into your project directory:

   cd my-next-app
   

5. Start the development server:

   npm run dev
   

6. Open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000 to see your new Next.js application in action.

Step 2: Understand Next.js Folder Structure

• Your Next.js project will have several key folders:
  • pages: Contains your application's routes.
  • public: Static files like images and fonts.
  • styles: CSS files for styling your components.
• Familiarize yourself with how these folders interact and their purposes.

Step 3: Learn About Client and Server Components

• Client Components: These run in the browser and manage UI interactions.
• Server Components: These run on the server and handle data fetching, providing a more efficient way to load your page.

Step 4: Explore the Pages Folder and Page.js File

1. Inside the pages folder, create an index.js file.
2. Add the following code to display a simple home page:

   export default function Home() {
       return <h1>Welcome to My Next.js App</h1>;
   }
   

Step 5: Implement Nested Routes

• Create subdirectories within the pages folder to set up nested routes.
• For example, create a folder named blog and add a post.js file inside it for a blog post route.

Step 6: Set Up Dynamic Routes

1. To create dynamic routes, use square brackets in your file name.
2. For example, create a file called [id].js in the blog folder to handle dynamic blog post IDs.

Step 7: Create Catch-All Routes

• Use the syntax [...slug].js to create a catch-all route that can match multiple segments.

Step 8: Navigate Using next/link

• Use the next/link component for client-side navigation:

  import Link from 'next/link';
  
  function Home() {
      return (
          <Link href="/blog">
              <a>Go to Blog</a>
          </Link>
      );
  }
  

Step 9: Use the useRouter Hook

1. Import the useRouter hook from Next.js.
2. Use it to programmatically navigate within your application:

   import { useRouter } from 'next/router';
   
   function MyComponent() {
       const router = useRouter();
   
       const handleClick = () => {
           router.push('/about');
       };
   
       return <button onClick={handleClick}>Go to About</button>;
   }
   

Step 10: Implement Redirects in Server Components

• Use Next.js server-side functionalities to manage redirects based on conditions in your application.

Step 11: Utilize useParams and useSearchParams

• Use these hooks to extract parameters from your routes easily and manage query strings in your URL.

Step 12: Create a Loading UI

• Implement a loading indicator while data is being fetched to enhance user experience.

Step 13: Build a Custom 404 Page

1. Create a 404.js file in the pages folder.
2. Customize the content to provide users with helpful information if they reach a non-existent page.

Step 14: Implement Data Fetching

• Learn about the different data fetching methods in Next.js, including getStaticProps and getServerSideProps for server-side data fetching.

Step 15: Build Applications

• Start building practical applications such as:
  • A food recipe app.
  • A blog app using API routes.
  • A job portal application.

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you have learned the fundamentals of Next.js, from project setup to advanced features. You can now start developing robust web applications using this powerful framework. Consider exploring the provided source code links for practical examples and further learning. Happy coding!