React.js X Next.js —
Server-side User Interface Components

Joe Alongi
The Startup
Published in
6 min readSep 28, 2020

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Describing an eloquent developer solution is like pinning the tail on an airplane. For the common user, something functional and stable is the best for a numerative sense of reasons. Equaling out in the middle-layer of complexity is factors of services that reach from micro-services to monolith and become that in which serve the populous the most broadly while remaining uniquely enough complex for the solution.

Monoliths and massive repositories become the function of things such as Facebook & AirBnB where the culture is a source of development built enough to define their own frameworks.

As developers, we want to create a union between our concept and the outcome of the solution. We can study successful applications, features, services, and dynamic calibrations of software to define how this works. Once we understand the effort it takes to become a technology super-power like that of Twitter, Square, and Instagram we notice that all of these concepts, well, started from a much smaller point.

React gave us a JavaScript framework that makes sense, Next a platform for Server-Side Rendering, Routing, and complex bundling under one hood. We thank Next for taking React + Node development and combining them into a framework that functions with as simple as a CLI command.

Next.js Production React Framework for Server-side Rendered Projects

Next.js has scaled in popularity for its quick make of use in establishing precedents for configuring over Node.js in a way that supports developers to quickly iterate.

The magic of many things we know as developers such as packages comes from the ease of implementation. Services like NPM & Yarn bring the world together with packages that are open-sources and shipped to make building software more rhythmic than equative.

Next has a foundational application layer with instructive elements that help you quickly create an SSR application with routing. Starting with their documentation, you are there in minutes, much like Create-React-App.

npx create-next-app nextjs-app

Within these commands, you can quickly establish an app that utilizes Next.js and is performed around the technology now called “Vercel”.

React.js User Interface Development Framework in JavaScript

If you are a Software Engineer, you clearly understand the benefits of finding a much easier way to create boilerplates for applications that gain all the benefits of server technology without creating your own from scratch.

Express.js + Node.js at this point are for those still running Grunt + Gulp to configure and deliver adequate structuring from larger programming languages, fewer frameworks.

If you have ever drafted an React.js app out of CRA(Create React Application) instead of following a production path through Package.json, as many do, then you understand the elegance of configuring an app that is pre-configured and estimable.

React.js User Interface Components in Next.js Software Development Kit

Building in Next, since it is an existing React Framework means acknowledging some of the pre-configured notions much as one would when using CRA out-of-the-box. The webpack and service worker implementations that shifted how CRA defines a structured method to application development — universally applies to the server elements of Next.js.

Preconfigured server logic means working around pre-rendering and functional components to adapt the application to include catches where methods require continuous or asynchronous fetch-points. Similarly using logic from outside of the source files within a project require additional microservices, built by Vercel to implement methods of passing that information through the server.

Quality Frontend Frameworks with Paralleled Performance

Example and element come to mind when achieving frontend styling through the Next.js framework. Notably, JSX implementations & stylesheets function well enough to deploy with your own styles and configurations.

As many have turned to the integrated CSS patterns of flex-box & grid to build their own layers of user-interface components, often developers look to integrate focused choices.

Frameworks such as Bootstrap & Tailwind have become quite popular as they have predetermined choices that quickly allow complete interfaces to unfold into idyllic creations.

Integrating custom styles with Next.js can be tricky off of the bat when first approaching the solution. A lot of developers have focused on implementing their own style and drafting based on the static site principle where they build their own styles and components to resolve the interface.

Conditionally these elements become very accumulative and start to become a style gleaned as a sort of purity where static-site generators look much alike, often the Gatbsy.js implementation wherein a SPA (Single Page Application) looks just like the next with a different color.

Depending on the technology stack you are looking to develop with, each has its own configuration for files within the Next.js framework, this mostly depends on the ability of the server to access packaged based files that are not purely React components. If you are looking to pull directly from node_modules it is simple enough to adapt the Next.js config & _app.js import to retrieve the proper file types and compile successfully.

Next.js & Webpack.js Configuration

Create a next.config.js file for configuration in the root source of the folder:

const withCSS = require('@zeit/next-css')                       module.exports = withCSS({/* my next config */})

Import Node Modules for Styling

Adapt the imported stylesheets to be originated from their direct folder:

import 'node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css';

Deploy to Next.js to Vercel Hosting

Conclusive JavaScript Runtimes for Performant Delivery

When you have an idea, it is much easier to begin without barrier, frameworks like CRA & Next bring this to ease. The focus around simplifying the solution for developers is focusing the path to creation for developers. Building past and within is always an option, though initially, it is about hitting the ground running.

Next.js is the most exceptional static-server application framework for React to-date. Currying traction and excitement from developers’ around the globe is the direct result of its efficiency and quality. You can learn more about how to integrate or build directly from Next.js in their exceptional documentation.

React gave us a JavaScript framework that makes sense, Next a platform for Server-Side Rendering, Routing, and complex bundling under one hood. We thank Next for taking React + Node development and combining them into a framework that functions with as simple as a CLI command.

Thanks for Reading, Keep Supporting!

Looking for more Application Development advice? Follow along on Twitter, GitHub, and LinkedIn. Visit online for the latest updates, news, and information at heyitsjoealongi.com.

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