Contributing to open source projects on Next.js is a great way to demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers. You can showcase your expertise in building scalable and performant applications.
By working on open source projects, you can gain experience with Next.js features such as server-side rendering and static site generation. This will make you a more competitive candidate in the job market.
Next.js also offers a wide range of community-driven projects to choose from, including the popular Next.js Examples repository.
Intriguing read: Azure Projects
Project Ideas
If you're looking to start a Next.js open source personal project, here are some ideas to get you started.
You could build a blog using Next.js, as seen in the example of a blog built using Next.js and MDX, which is a great way to create a fast and secure website.
Next.js also makes it easy to build a portfolio website, as demonstrated by the example of a portfolio website built using Next.js and TypeScript.
Consider building a simple web application, like a to-do list or a weather app, to practice your skills and showcase your work.
Explore further: Nextjs Portfolio Template
URL Shortener
A URL shortener is a great project idea. It's a tool that helps make long URLs more aesthetically pleasing and easier to remember.
You can use Next.js to build a URL shortener, as shown in an example project. This project uses Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and Strapi to create a URL shortener.
Long URLs like dannyandtinaswedding.blogpost.com/rsvp-yes-or-no/confirm can be off-putting. A URL shortener helps to fix this issue.
With a URL shortener, you can track analytics and even swap links, which is a useful feature.
Messaging App
Creating a messaging app is a great project idea, and it's actually quite feasible with Next.js. You can build a real-time chat application using Next.js, as demonstrated in an article by Jo Franchetti.
The web app can be built upon the Next.js create-next-app template, which provides a solid foundation for your project. This template includes a React component that you can use to send and receive messages.
You can use a service like Ably to send and receive messages over an Ably channel. Clients that use the app will be subscribed to the channel and will receive messages in real-time.
Take a look at this: Use Client Nextjs
6 Project Ideas for Web Apps with Js
Building a strong developer portfolio is crucial for standing out in a competitive job market. Showcasing your skills with Next JS can be a game-changer.
Including web developer portfolio projects built using Next JS can help you get shortlisted by recruiters. Next JS is a popular framework, so having experience with it can make you more attractive to potential employers.
To get started, consider building one or two web app projects using Next JS. This will give you a chance to demonstrate your skills and showcase your work.
One project idea is to build a blog using Next JS. This will allow you to experiment with routing, API routes, and server-side rendering.
Another idea is to create a simple e-commerce website using Next JS. This can help you practice building a scalable and efficient application.
You can also build a project that showcases your knowledge of state management in Next JS. This might involve using a library like Redux or MobX.
Expand your knowledge: Next Js Using State Context
Another great idea is to build a project that demonstrates your understanding of API routes in Next JS. This could be a simple API that returns data from a database.
Lastly, consider building a project that highlights your skills in handling forms and validation in Next JS. This will give you a chance to practice building a robust and user-friendly application.
Tech Stack
For our next.js open source personal projects, we're using a robust tech stack to ensure smooth operations. Next.js serves as the framework, while TypeScript is our chosen language for development.
We're leveraging Tailwind for CSS, making it easy to style our applications with a focus on utility-first design. Upstash is our go-to for redis, providing a scalable and fast data store.
Tinybird is handling our analytics, giving us valuable insights into user behavior. PlanetScale is our database of choice, offering a flexible and highly available solution.
We're using NextAuth.js for authentication, making it simple to manage user sessions. BoxyHQ is handling SSO/SAML, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems.
Here's an interesting read: Using State in Next Js
Turborepo is our monorepo tool, streamlining development and deployment processes. Stripe is our payment processor, making it easy to handle transactions. Resend is our email service, helping us send important notifications to users.
Vercel is handling our deployments, providing a fast and reliable way to get our applications live. Pangea is our link scanning service, ensuring our users have a safe browsing experience.
Ecommerce Solutions
If you're looking to build an e-commerce website, there are several Next.js open-source personal projects that can get you started.
Next.js eCommer Boilerplate is a full-function open-source template that offers a seamless starting point for building a Jamstack eCommerce storefront using Next.js and Crystallize.
It just takes a few tweaks for a Next.js developer to clone and create a customized store with Vercel eCommerce Starter.
Developing an e-commerce site can take less than two weeks with Next eCommerce, which is an example of an elegant e-commerce website built using Next.js.
Consider reading: Next Js Ecommerce
This starter project has a wide range of tools that can be used to develop a functional eCommerce retail store using Next.js, including TypeScript and SCSS support.
Fullstack Next.js eCommerce Starter is a next.js e-commerce template that supports checkout, authentication, and other cool features, made using TypeScript + NextAuth + Docker + Stripe + React Query + Prisma + Tailwind Sentry.
This template is perfect for those searching for something that covers all the necessary features for an e-commerce site.
For another approach, see: Next Js 14 Ecommerce
Database Options
For a Next.js open source personal project, you've got options when it comes to databases. Next.js CRUD uses MySQL, which is a great choice for those who want a robust and reliable database.
One example of a Next.js CRUD project is the Next.js + MySQL Starter, which leverages TailwindCSS for styling. This project is a great starting point for anyone looking to build a Next.js app with a MySQL database.
Expand your knowledge: Next Js Db
If you're new to databases, don't worry – MySQL is a popular choice that's easy to learn. It's also highly scalable, making it a great choice for projects that are expected to grow.
The Next.js + MySQL Starter project is a great example of how to get started with building a Next.js app using MySQL. With this project, you can quickly create a CRUD app and start experimenting with different database configurations.
Deployment and Hosting
You can deploy your Next.js app to Vercel using the vercel CLI, which installs quickly and guides you through the process of logging in to Vercel, creating the app, and deploying it.
Start by running the command to install the CLI, then follow the prompts to deploy your app.
A different take: Nextjs by Vercel Meaning
Firebase
Firebase is a powerful tool for authentication and data storage. It can be easily integrated with Next.js to create a robust deployment solution.
You can use a Next.js starter code to implement Firebase Auth, cloud messaging, and Firestore, making it a convenient choice for developers.
A fresh viewpoint: Nextjs Middleware Firebase Auth
Next.js and Firebase can be used together to create a scalable and secure deployment. This combination is especially useful for real-time data synchronization.
With Firebase, you can leverage its cloud messaging feature to send notifications to users. This can be a game-changer for apps that require timely updates.
The starter code for Next.js with Firebase is a great starting point for many projects. It provides a solid foundation for implementing Firebase Auth and cloud messaging.
Broaden your view: Firebase Firestore Nextjs
Deploy to Vercel
Deploying to Vercel is a straightforward process, and you can start by installing the Vercel CLI using the command `npm install -g vercel`. This command installs the CLI and walks you through the process of logging in to Vercel and creating the app.
To deploy your app, use the command `vercel deploy`, which prompts you to enter a value for your API token. You'll need to paste the same token you used in Step 3.
Once you've deployed your app, you need to add your API token to the remote app's environment variables. This allows your app to make requests to Replicate.
Project Development
Developing personal projects using Next.js can help strengthen your software developer portfolio, making you a more attractive candidate to hiring managers who are specifically looking for applicants with experience in the framework.
Including one or two web developer portfolio projects built using Next.js can help you stand out from other applicants, even if hiring managers aren't specifically looking for Next.js expertise.
Showcasing your developer skills with Next.js projects can also help you refine your portfolio and increase your chances of getting hired.
Worth a look: Best Next Js Portfolios
Blog Website
Building a blog website can be a fun and rewarding experience. Caleb Olojo built his own blog using Next.js CMS and MDX.
He wrote functions that use the Node.js File System API and called them at the server-side in the pages folder. Next.js has data-fetching methods that run on the server.
Caleb's case study walks you through the issues he encountered at first, making it a valuable resource for learning from his experiences.
On a similar theme: Next Js Blog
User Authentication System
User Authentication System is a crucial aspect of project development, and there are various ways to implement it.
Sheliak is an open-source authentication service built using Django, React, and GraphQL.
You can also build a single-sign-on authentication system using Next.js with the help of the NextAuth.js library.
Worth a look: Free Headless Cms for Nextjs
Sanity Client
Sanity Client is a crucial tool for any Next.js developer. It's specifically designed for Next.js Apps with App Dir Support.
You can integrate Sanity Client into your Next.js project for seamless content management. This is especially useful for building web apps that require frequent updates.
The Sanity Client is a Sanity Client for Next.js Apps, providing a robust solution for managing content. This makes it an ideal choice for developers who want to build fast and scalable web apps.
With Sanity Client, you can supercharge your Next.js project with features like Live Content API. This means your pages will update in real-time, giving your users the best possible experience.
See what others are reading: Next Js Client Side Rendering
Publish to GitHub
Publish to GitHub is a good idea to keep your code in a version control system like Git. This will also set you up nicely to use Vercel's GitHub integration.
First, commit your changes to Git. Then create a new GitHub repository and push your code to it. You can use whatever flow you like, but we'll go with the following command.
To create a new public repo named my-replicate-app and push your code to it, use the command: gh repo create --public --source=. --name=my-replicate-app. If you'd rather keep your repository private, set the --private flag instead of --public.
Here's an interesting read: Nextjs Loader
Configure Your Environment
To configure your environment, you need an API token to run models. Create a file called .env.local in the root of your project. Next.js has built-in support for loading environment variables from a .env.local file into process.env. This means you can store your API token securely outside of your project's source code. The npx create-next-app command creates a .gitignore file that ignores .env.local files, which is a good thing because you shouldn't commit your API token to your project's source code repository.
Intriguing read: Nextjs Code Block
Build the Backend
Now that we have our project set up, it's time to build the backend. Create a directory for your server-side endpoints and start by writing some server-side code that you'll use to run models with Replicate.
You'll need to create two server-side endpoints: one for running the model and one for polling the status of that request until it's complete. This will involve creating two files: one for prediction creation requests and another for polling the status of the prediction.
Create a file to handle prediction creation requests, call it app/api/predictions/route.js, and add the code to handle this request. Note that the code for this file is not provided here, but you can find it in the article section.
Create a file to handle requests to poll for the prediction's status, call it app/api/predictions/[id]/route.js, and add the code to handle this request. The [id] in the directory structure is a variable that can be accessed in your code by using req.query.id.
Remember to use dynamic routing to treat the id part of the URL as a variable, allowing you to use it in your code.
Broaden your view: Nextjs Project
Build the Frontend
Building the frontend is a crucial step in creating a Next.js project. You can start by removing all the existing content in the app/page.js file and replacing it with the relevant code.
To render a form, you'll need to create the frontend code that talks to Replicate. This involves posting data to the server-side endpoint that you created earlier.
The endpoint will run the model with Replicate and return a prediction, which is an object representing a single model run. You can use this prediction to render the results on the frontend.
Creating a real-time chat application using Next.js is also a great way to build the frontend. This involves using the Next.js create-next-app template and a React component to send and receive messages over an Ably channel.
Showcasing your developer skills by building a few Next.js projects can help you stand out as a web developer. This includes building a messaging app or a web app using the Next.js framework.
For another approach, see: Nextjs Frontend Components
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Next.js open-source?
Yes, Next.js is an open-source project, backed by over 3,000 contributors worldwide. It's a collaborative effort to build tools for React and Web developers.
Sources
- https://www.dunebook.com/35-best-next-js-opensource-projects/
- https://www.sanity.io/exchange/framework=nextjs
- https://replicate.com/docs/guides/nextjs
- https://www.lyrid.io/post/6-next-js-project-ideas-to-help-you-start-learning-by-doing
- https://dev.to/devkiran/9-open-source-nextjs-projects-open-for-contributions-272c
Featured Images: pexels.com