Aditya Argadinata

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Building Modern Web Applications with Next.js 14

A comprehensive guide to building performant web applications using Next.js 14 with the latest features and best practices.

By Aditya Argadinata • •2 min read
#nextjs#react#web-development#javascript
Building Modern Web Applications with Next.js 14

Building Modern Web Applications with Next.js 14

Next.js 14 brings exciting new features and performance improvements that make building modern web applications more enjoyable and efficient. In this post, we'll explore the latest capabilities and best practices.

What's New in Next.js 14?

1. App Router (Stable)

The App Router is now stable and production-ready:

// app/page.js
export default function Page() {
  return <h1>Hello, Next.js 14!</h1>
}

// app/layout.js
export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body>{children}</body>
    </html>
  )
}

2. Server Actions

Server Actions allow you to run server-side code directly from client components:

async function createUser(formData) {
  'use server';

  const name = formData.get('name');
  const email = formData.get('email');

  // Save to database
  await db.user.create({
    data: { name, email },
  });
}

Performance Optimizations

Image Optimization

Next.js Image component provides automatic optimization:

import Image from 'next/image';

export default function Hero() {
  return (
    <Image src='/hero.jpg' alt='Hero image' width={800} height={600} priority />
  );
}

Font Optimization

Built-in font optimization for better Core Web Vitals:

import { Inter } from 'next/font/google';

const inter = Inter({ subsets: ['latin'] });

export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
  return (
    <html lang='en' className={inter.className}>
      <body>{children}</body>
    </html>
  );
}

Best Practices

  1. Use TypeScript for better type safety
  2. Implement proper error boundaries
  3. Optimize images and fonts
  4. Use Server Components when possible
  5. Implement proper SEO with metadata

Conclusion

Next.js 14 continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in web development. The combination of performance optimizations, developer experience improvements, and new features makes it an excellent choice for modern applications.

Start building with Next.js 14 today and experience the future of web development! 🚀