What's Next JS?
With its initial release in 2016Next JSSince then, it has become a widely used framework in the web development world. But how do you describe, plain and simple, what Next JS is? The simplest definition would be that it is aReact framework that allows developers to create single-page JavaScript web applications.
Developed by Vercel, Next JS is designed to take care of all the tools and settings that developers might need for React. Also with the help of the frameworkDevelopers can create applications that useserver-side rendering.
Also, let's find out what the creator of Next JS has to say about the framework:
“We decided to create an open-source framework called Next.js that brings all the benefits of React to the table. (…) In addition, we have built a whole ecosystem of tools, workflows and a global CDN so that you can not only build your user interface, but also deliver it to the end user as quickly as possible.”
When it comes to comparing the two: Next JS vs. React, it's really hard to do sinceNext JS is a React framework and React is a library. With that in mind, we believe a proper list of the pros and cons of both technologies works best. Let's go there!
Advantages
Compatible with SEO
React might be SEO-friendly these days, but what about Next JS? Well, it's even friendlier! In React, every time a user clicks on another page, it is assembled separately in the browser. And it all happens on the client side. Unfortunately, this prevents web crawlers from indexing the page correctly.
The situation is different with Next JS. Because of server-side rendering, applications built using the framework can be indexed more efficiently, resulting in better visibility on theSERP (Search Engine Results Page).
Performance
Applications developed using Next JS turn out to be fast and efficient thanks to static generation, code splitting and server-side rendering. And more, with thenext 10Update, frame receiveda feature called Image Optimizationwhich made the performance of a web application even faster.
Simplylearning curve
If we take React and Next and look at their complexity, we'll find that the latter is simpler, at least as far as programming is concerned. It has less code and is easier to implement (once the page is ready you need to link it to the component in the header).
Reduced time to market
Easier to code, faster to develop, and great performance—all these factors result in faster time to market. In fact, Next JS can be a great option when it comes to thatDevelopment of the MVP.
Typescript
In addition to all the benefits of using Next JS, the framework also supports TypeScript. Thanks to this, developers can create a variety of different things, includingAPIs, pages and more with a setup-free TypeScript setup.
Disadvantages
lack of knowledge
We have some unfortunate news for those who got their hopes up after reading all the pros above.Next JS is the framework for React, so in order to use it you need to learn React first, or at least the basics.Without a thorough understanding of the basics first, you risk getting stuck in development.
Routing
Routing is another notable drawback of Next.The framework has a file-based router and supports dynamic routingonly up to a point, resulting in a more complicated setup that may not be enough for some projects. Of course you can enable dynamic routing, but for that you need additional help from e.g. a NodeJS server.
small community
Compared to React, Next has asmall community. This in no way prohibits you from using the framework! It's actually smaller than React, but it's growing by the day. Because the more people use the framework, the easier it will be to find answers to your most pressing questions.
What is react?
Reactis widely recognized as the most popular JavaScript framework on the market (more than 40% of respondents in the Stack Overflow survey admitted to using React). Honestly, calling React a framework is a bit misleading. Actually,is an open source JavaScript library, not a framework. But hey, we're not here to change perceptions!
How did React come about?
In 2011, Jordan Walke created React, but it wasn't publicly available until 2013. Since then, the library's popularity has increased dramatically. Finally,is a library of choice for nearly 10 million users! Well, as you can see, the numbers speak for themselves. Although it was released almost a decade ago, the developers of Meta (Facebook) maintain React to this day.
The reason for such a choice is that React allows developers to achieve a variety of different things, for example:Single Page Applications,interactive user interfaces, web applications and more. The library also includes useful functions such asVirtual DOM or JSX. The most popular examples of React applications also include Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp or Netflix.
Advantages
easy to learn
Yes, we mentioned a similar paragraph about Next JS benefits, but does that mean we can't do that here? Certainly not. Similar to Next JS, React also has an easy learning curve compared to other libraries or frameworks. With reusable components, relatively easy learning and versatility, the library is the choice of many international companiesOver,airbnb,Letter box, and many, many others.
One-way data flow
Unlike most other frameworks, React offers aOne-way data flow, instead of a bidirectional one. But what does that mean? Basically, one-way data flow means that you don't have to update it every time a change is made (like bi-directional data flow). Thanks for thatthe individual sections that have been modified do not affect the structure of the overall application, i.e. H. Changes in the child components do not affect the parent data.
community
In Next JS, the community was slightly at a disadvantage compared to React, but for the library? Well, that's definitely a plus! There are so many itemsWeb development blogs, YouTube videos, tutorials, and other React-centric posts so you don't get lost or stuck during development. Definitely a strong user community!
reusable components
Without reusable components, React probably wouldn't be as popular as it is today. They are one of the factors responsible for making the whole development process much easier and smoother. Essentially,reusable componentsThey are "pieces" of code that developers can reuse in other parts of the application or even in future projects, without having to write code from scratch.
virtual DOMs
Without them, React wouldn't exist (or at least wouldn't be as popular as it is today).Virtual DOM (Document Object Model). With its help, developers can create fast applications according to modern standards, since it is responsible for the speed and performance of React.
But what is the virtual DOM? in simple words,is a virtual representation of the document object model and the DOM itself is a tree structure of XML or HTML documents. Thanks to this, developers can update even the smallest components of the application without worrying about changing the entire application.
developers reactTool
Luckily, React is supported by , although it doesn't have all the necessary toolsReact development tools. It's a browser extension that you can use with browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. And you don't have to worry about them becoming out of date!They are used by more than 3 million developers.and are continuously adapted to modern requirements.
Create React app
Another feature that influences React's popularity is Create React App, a tool developed by Facebook that, as the name suggests, aims to help users create React applications. It includes features likeinstant charging,just a dependency, and more! Also, the Create React app is really easy to maintain, making it a highly desirable option.
restored
restoredis a JavaScript library that is commonly used with other libraries or frameworks (in this case, React). It was created in 2015 by Dan Abramov and Andrew Clark. With the help of the libraryDevelopers can manage application state or create user interfaces. Using Redux can significantly impact your development process. For example state management patterns, faster development, more stability or the ability to run in multiple environments. To use Redux with React, make sure you have thereact reduxTool that allows to link both libraries.
Disadvantages
JSXGenerischerName
JSX is a JavaScript extension responsible for making code cleaner and more readable. So why is it a scam? Well, that's because JavaScript and HTML are combined, resulting in a steeper learning curve that some developers might not like. However, there is also good news.JSX is optional, so you don't have to worry if you're one of those people who aren't interested in him.
High number of updates and missing documentation
Due to the large number of updates, there simply isn't time to publish proper documentation. Unfortunately, this leaves developers with the rather difficult choice of writing their own documentation or finding one written by other users.
The last option seems like a good choice, right? Finally, you don't have to spend time writing your own documentation. But is it really that good? Relying on the advice of other developers can be effective, but you may also encounter incorrect or incomplete guides with sparse text.
However, the number of updates is obviously a good thing. but somedevelopers reactThey can get irritated if they have to relearn React, or at least some of its parts, with every update. Well I think most of us can relate to those situations.
You can also read about themlatest version respondon our blog.
see layer
It may come as a surprise, but React only works with an MVC (Model-View-Controller) model view layer of web and mobile apps. To complete the app, developers have to resort to other tools.
Next JS vs React: When to Use Them?
A direct comparison of Next JS to React wouldn't make much sense since Next is built on top of React, so it's not a competitor. That's why, as you can see above, we decided to list the pros and cons. Now let's think about when developers should use them.
Next JS
If you're still wondering when to use Next JS, we're here to clear up the confusion. Let's list the situations where you should use the framework to your advantage.
- If you are planning to build a web application with server-side rendering;
- If you already know React but are looking for more features;
- As long as you plan to create a static website;
- Ultimately, Next JS should be the framework of choice if you want to build an MVP and reduce time to market.
React
Now that we know when to use Next JS, it's time to think about a development project where using React would be the right choice.
- If you want to create a React project, e.g. B. User interfaces, single page apps, web apps and more;
- If you want to be part of the strong and active community that React certainly has;
- If you already know JSX or want to learn how it works;
- When you create more than one application and want to reuse components.
Conclusions
We're nearing the end of our Next JS vs React article, so it's time to wrap up everything we've learned so far. And what better way than with a comparison table! Without further ado, let's take a look.