Pages Router Next Js – A Comprehensive Guide

Next.js has revolutionized the way we build web applications by introducing its powerful Pages Router feature. This feature allows you to create dynamic routes for your application with ease.

The Pages Router in Next.js is based on a file-system-based approach, where routes are defined by the file structure in your project directory. For example, if you have a file named [id].js in a directory, it will automatically create a route for a dynamic page with an ID parameter.

With the Pages Router, you can easily create nested routes by creating subdirectories in your project directory. For instance, if you have a directory named posts with a file named [id].js inside it, it will create a route for a dynamic page nested under the posts directory.

The Pages Router also supports static site generation (SSG) and server-side rendering (SSR) out of the box, making it a versatile feature for building a wide range of applications.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Nextjs Pages

To set up the router bindings for Refine, you'll use the routerProvider from @refinedev/nextjs-router. This allows you to define the action routes for your resources in the resources array and define your pages in the app directory.

The :param syntax is used to define route parameters. For example, if you have a posts resource and you want to create a route for the show action of a specific post, you can define the show action as /posts/show/:id and use the id parameter in your component.

Refine supports using NavigateToResource component to redirect to the resource when the user visits a specific page, as seen in the example of redirecting to the posts resource when the user visits the home page.

Here's an interesting read: Next Js App Router Example

To set up the router bindings for Refine, you'll need to use the routerProvider from @refinedev/nextjs-router.

Refine supports route parameters, which you can define with the :param syntax. This allows you to create routes that use specific parameters in your action definitions.

You can create a route for a specific resource by defining the action routes in the resources array. For example, if you have a posts resource, you can define the show action as /posts/show/:id.

To create a route, you'll need to create a folder in the pages folder and name it whatever you want the route to be. This could be something like "about" or "posts".

The NavigateToResource component can be used to redirect to a specific resource when the user visits a certain page. For instance, you can use it to redirect to the posts resource when the user visits the home page.

For another approach, see: Next Js 14 Redirect to Another Page Loading Indicator

So, let's dive into what makes something a basic usage. A basic usage is essentially a fundamental or standard way of using something, like a tool or a system.

It's often the most common or obvious way to use it, but that doesn't mean it's the only way. A basic usage can be a default setting or a recommended practice.

For example, in the context of a software application, a basic usage might be to use the keyboard and mouse to navigate and interact with the interface. This is often the most straightforward way to use the software.

However, it's worth noting that there may be alternative ways to use the software, such as using voice commands or a touchscreen interface.

Routing Concepts are the backbone of any Next.js application, allowing users to navigate between pages seamlessly. This is achieved through the use of routes, which are essentially URLs that map to specific pages.

In Next.js, routes are defined using the `pages` directory, where each file represents a unique route. For example, a file named `about.js` in the `pages` directory would map to the URL `/about`. This is a fundamental concept in Next.js routing.

Routing in Next.js can be further customized using Link components, which allow for client-side routing. These components can be used to create links between pages, and they automatically handle the routing process, making it easy to navigate between pages.

Additional reading: Nested Routes in Next Js

Navigating to a resource page can be a straightforward process with the right component. The NavigateToResource component is a basic component that makes this possible.

This component is particularly useful when you want to navigate to a resource page at the index route of your app. It's a simple solution that gets the job done.

To fetch data for your resource page, you'll want to check out the data fetching documentation of Next.js. This will give you the knowledge you need to bring in the data you require.

Recommended read: Next Js Build Collecting Page Data

Nested layouts allow you to define multiple levels of layout components, each enclosing the content of its child components. This feature provides a flexible and modular way to structure your application's UI.

You can define nested layouts inside folders and they'll apply to specific route segments. This means you can have different layouts for different parts of your application.

Nested layouts are useful for structuring your application's UI in a flexible and modular way. They allow you to define multiple levels of layout components.

A unique perspective: Nextjs Spa

For example, if you have a dashboard directory, you can define a layout file that applies to all pages inside it. This layout file can contain styles and logic that are specific to the dashboard.

If you create a new folder called users, you can create a new file called about.js within it. You can access this file by visiting http://localhost:3000/users/about. This shows how nested routes work in conjunction with nested folders.

If this caught your attention, see: Next Js Dashboard

The Properties and Configuration section is where things get interesting. The `resource` property is optional and allows you to specify the name of the resource to navigate to. If not provided, it will redirect to the first list route in the resources array.

You can also define a `meta` object to use if the route has parameters in it. The parameters in the current location will also be used to compose the route, but the `meta` object will take precedence. This is useful for creating routes with parameters, like `/posts/show/:id`.

The Document Title Handler is a component that generates the document title for the current page. It follows a set of predefined rules to generate titles based on the provided props.

These rules include generating titles for different actions such as "list", "edit", "show", "create", and "clone". For example, the default title for "edit" is "#{id} Edit Post | Refine".

The component also offers the flexibility to customize the title generation process by providing a custom handler function. This function will get invoked in every location change and will receive an object with various properties.

The properties received by the handler function include "pathname", "resource", "action", "autoGeneratedTitle", and "params". The "params" object contains URL parameters, including the "id" parameter if present.

Inside the handler function, you can dynamically generate the document title based on the provided properties and any additional logic required. The function should return the generated title.

Here are the default title generation rules:

The Properties section is an essential part of setting up routes in Refine. The resource property is optional and is used to navigate to a specific resource. It will redirect to the first list route in the resources array if not provided.

You can also use the meta property, which is optional, to specify a meta object to use if the route has parameters. The parameters in the current location will also be used to compose the route, but the meta object will take precedence.

This is particularly useful when defining routes with parameters, such as :id or :slug. By using the meta property, you can provide a default value or override the parameter with a specific value.

For example, if you have a route defined as /posts/show/:id, you can use the meta property to specify a default value for the id parameter. This ensures that the route is properly navigated, even if the id parameter is not provided.

Take a look at this: Intercepting Routes Next Js

The base path in Next.js is initially set to pages/index.js with a path of /. You can configure this to make your default route a sub-path of the domain.

This means you can automatically redirect all / paths to a specific sub-path, like /dashboard.

Both the base path and trailing slash features require Next.js 9.5 and above to function.

So, if you're using an earlier version, you'll need to upgrade before you can take advantage of these features.

Data Fetching is a key feature of Server components, allowing async components to fetch data within them. This reduces reliance on APIs like getServerSideProps.

To fetch data, simply mark a component as async and use the fetch function within. The fetch function is a powerful tool for retrieving data from the server.

The App Router caches the fetched data on the server, eliminating the need to re-fetch that data on every request. This means you can rely on the cached data to load quickly, unless a revalidation parameter is passed in in the fetch function.

You can pass a revalidation parameter in the fetch function to cause a re-fetch of new data at a specified interval, such as every 5 seconds.

You might enjoy: Next Js Fetch Data save in Context and Next Route

Static routes are automatically set up for files with .js, .jsx, .ts, and .tsx extensions in the pages directory.

The index.js file in the pages directory is considered the root directory, and it can be accessed by going to http://localhost:3000.

Files in the pages directory, such as index.js, can be accessed directly by their name, without needing to specify the full path.

For example, if you create a file called index.js in the pages directory, you can access it by going to http://localhost:3000/.

Discover more: Next Js Github Pages

Server-Side Rendering is a powerful feature in Next.js that allows you to render pages on the server before sending the HTML to the client. This can greatly improve performance and reduce the load on the client-side.

To make Server-Side Rendering work, you can use the methods provided by the dataProvider to fetch data in your server components. You can also use normal async functions and pass the data to your page as a prop using getServerSideProps or getStaticProps methods.

Server components, a prime addition to the App Router, render on the server and streams to the client, accelerating page loading and enhancing performance. They speed up page load times as different page contents are loaded in small chunks and independently.

A fresh viewpoint: Next Js Component

To make Server-Side Rendering (SSR) work, you can use the methods provided from the dataProvider to fetch data in your server components, just like you would in your pages.

You can use normal async functions and pass the data to your page as a prop using getServerSideProps or getStaticProps methods.

To persist syncWithLocation in SSR, you'll need to handle query parameters while doing Server-Side Rendering. This can be done by parsing the query string and using the query parameters for dataProvider methods that accept them.

Server components render on the server and stream to the client, accelerating page loading and enhancing performance. They speed up page load times by loading different page contents in small chunks and independently.

To use client-side actions like click events and React hooks in server components, mark them with use client at the beginning of the file.

All you need to do is to pass the data as the initialData to your data hooks using the queryOptions prop, and you're good to go with SSR.

Consider reading: Next Js Tailwind Spinner Loading Page

Built-in SEO is a key feature of the Next.js App router, and it's used to optimize websites for search engines. This is made possible by the Metadata API, which provides a range of SEO settings.

The Open Graph protocol is one of the SEO settings provided by the Metadata API, used to enhance the visibility of websites to search engines.

There are two methods of implementing built-in SEO: static and dynamic methods. The static approach is a straightforward way to implement SEO settings.

The dynamic approach uses the getMetadata function, which allows for more flexibility in implementing SEO settings. This function can be used to generate metadata on the fly.

Readers also liked: Dynamic Routes Nextjs

Layouts are versatile UI elements that shape a page's structure, including headers, footers, and sidebars, and even offer shared functions like navigation. To create a layout component, you can define a React component in a layout.js file, which can be shared by multiple pages.

You can use the App Router in Next.js 13 to easily create pages, shared layouts, and templates. By defining a layout by default exporting a React component from a layout.js file, you can wrap all the pages with the default layout. For example, you can create a layout.js file in the app directory to define the default layout.

To use multiple layouts, you can add extra properties to your page components to render the page with the specified layout. You can also use your Layout wrappers in your pages to achieve this.

Here's a quick rundown of the file structure for using multiple layouts:

Template components are like layouts, but they create a new instance for each child on navigation. This means recreating DOM elements, losing state, and resetting effects every time the route changes.

You can use them for things like tracking page views or interactive widgets. They can be created by exporting a default React component from a template.js file. This component should be designed to receive a children prop.

Template components are useful for specific use cases, like tracking page views. They can be used in conjunction with layouts to create a more dynamic user experience.

Here are some key characteristics of template components:

By understanding the role of template components, you can create more effective and efficient layouts for your application.

Using multiple layouts can be a game-changer for your application's UI. You can define a layout by default exporting a React component from a layout.js file. To comply with TypeScript types, you'll need to extend the NextPage and AppProps types accordingly.

The file structure for multiple layouts should be similar to this: app/layout.tsx - The default layout and wraps all the pages.app/posts/layout.tsx - The layout for the posts page.app/login/layout.tsx - The layout for the login page.

You can use additional properties to render different layouts. This is especially useful for pages like login, where you might want a different layout than the default one. By using these properties, you can keep your code organized and reusable.

To use multiple layouts, you'll need to define a layout component that shares styles with its sibling pages. This component can receive a children prop and wrap all page files in the same directory with it.

Groups can be a lifesaver in organizing related routes together without altering the URL structure.

Route Groups are created by enclosing a folder name in parentheses, allowing for logical grouping of routes.

This keeps related routes together, making it easier to find and manage them.

For example, authentication pages can be grouped together for better organization.

This is done without altering the URL structure, keeping everything clean and easy to navigate.

For your interest: Nextjs 14 Enviar Parametros En La Url

In Next.js, you have four main types of routes to organize your application's layout and components.

Static Routes are a great way to handle routes that don't need to be updated frequently, such as a homepage or about page.

These routes are pre-built at build time and can't be changed dynamically. They're perfect for routes that don't need to be updated often.

Here are the different types of routes in Next.js:

API Routes are used to handle server-side API requests, such as creating or updating data in a database.

They're a powerful tool for building robust and scalable applications.

Take a look at this: Nextjs Api Router

You can use a catch-all route to achieve legacy behavior or gain more control over unhandled routes. This can be done by checking the Next.js documentation for catch-all routes.

A catch-all route can also be created by adding three dots inside the square brackets in the name of the file, as shown in the documentation. This allows you to catch all paths in Next.js.

Optional catch-all routes extend the concept of catch-all routes by allowing you to handle routes with a variable number of segments, including the option of no segments at all. This can be achieved by adding three dots inside the double square brackets in the name of the file.

To handle unmatched routes, you can create a not-found.tsx file in your /app directory.

This file will be used as the 404 page, and it's a great way to provide a custom error message to your users.

For more information, you can check the Next.js documentation for not-found.js.

This approach is particularly useful when you want to maintain a consistent look and feel across your application.

A unique perspective: Nextjs Router Not Mounted

Catch-All routes in Next.js allow you to handle unmatched routes by creating a file with a specific syntax.

You can use the catch-all route by adding three dots inside the square brackets in the name of the file, as shown in Example 3: "Catch-All Routes". This will catch all paths in Next.js.

Optional catch-all routes extend the concept of catch-all routes by allowing you to handle routes with a variable number of segments, including the option of no segments at all. This is achieved by adding three dots inside the double square brackets in the name of the file, as mentioned in Example 4: "Optional Catch-All Routes".

You can make catch-all routes optional in NextJS using optional catch-all routes, which is a more flexible approach to handling unmatched routes.

Here are the differences between catch-all routes and optional catch-all routes:

Using a catch-all route or optional catch-all route can help you achieve the legacy behavior or have more control over unhandled routes, as mentioned in Example 1: "Using a catch-all route".