My Next.js Journey: Learning from Mistakes and Embracing New Features

Hey folks! Today, I’m sharing my experience with Next.js, especially how I went from a less optimal way of handling data fetching and loading states to a much better approach thanks to some Next.js features I just discovered ☠️. If you’re navigating Next.js, you might find this journey of mine both amusing and insightful!

What Was I Doing Wrong?

In the beginning, I tackled Next.js with a common but outdated approach. I was fetching data directly in individual components. Here’s a quick rundown of what that looked like:

1. Separate Data Fetching: Each component was fetching its own data. This meant multiple network requests and a scattered approach to handling data.
2. Complex Loading States: Managing loading indicators with React Suspense across multiple components led to a confusing and inconsistent user experience.

This method felt straightforward, but I quickly realized it was inefficient and messy.

The Game-Changer: Discovering Next.js Features

What changed my mind? It was a mix of learning about Next.js’s capabilities and understanding how they could simplify my code. Here’s how the new features improved my approach:

1. Centralized Data Fetching: I learned that Next.js allows you to fetch all the required data for a page in one place. This reduces the number of network requests and centralizes data handling, making your code cleaner and more efficient.
2. Loading States with loading.tsx: Next.js introduced a loading.tsx file that helps you manage loading states more effectively. By defining a loading state in one place, you can ensure a smoother user experience while content loads.

How Each Method Works

The Old Method (Fetch on Render)

How It Worked:

• Fetching Data: Each component made its own request for data. This often meant multiple requests to the server.
• Handling Loading States: Components used React Suspense to handle loading states, but with each component managing its own state, it became complicated.

Each step depends on the successful completion of the previous one, creating a cascading, waterfall-like flow of operations:

• Step 1: Trigger the initial fetch.
• Step 2: Process the data and trigger the next fetch based on the results.
• Step 3: Continue this pattern until all data is fetched and components are rendered.

This sequential approach mirrors the waterfall model, where each phase must complete before the next one begins.

Pros:

• Simple to set up initially.
• No need for complex configurations.

Cons:

• Inefficient with multiple network requests.
• Loading states were inconsistent and hard to manage.

The New Method (Centralized Data Fetching)

How It Works:

• Centralized Fetching: You fetch all the necessary data at once, typically in the page component. This reduces the number of server requests and centralizes data management.
• Loading States with loading.tsx: You create a loading.tsx file to define a universal loading state for the page. This approach is more consistent and user-friendly, as it shows meaningful placeholders while data loads.

This flow highlights how data fetching drives the rendering process, with the server-side fetching all necessary data before the client-side rendering takes place.

• Step 1: Fetch all required data in the page component.
• Step 2: Render the page with a loading state while the data is fetched.
• Step 3: When the data is fetched, the page is rendered with the actual content (No waterfall effect).

Pros:

• More efficient with fewer network requests.
• Cleaner code with centralized data management.
• Consistent and smooth loading states.

Cons:

• Requires a bit of reworking existing code to fit the new structure.

Why I Made the Switch

The shift to this new approach wasn’t just about adopting the latest features—it was about solving real issues:

1. Performance: By reducing the number of network requests and centralizing data fetching, my pages loaded faster and were more responsive.
2. User Experience: Better loading states improved the overall user experience. The loading.tsx file ensures that users see meaningful content or skeleton screens while they wait.
3. Code Maintenance: Centralizing data fetching and loading states made the codebase cleaner and easier to maintain.

Wrap-Up

So, there you have it! What started as a series of mistakes and messy code turned into a valuable learning experience. Embracing Next.js’s features like centralized data fetching and loading.tsx has made my development process smoother and more efficient.

If you’re working with Next.js or thinking about it, I highly recommend diving into these features. They’ve made a huge difference in my projects, and I’m sure they can do the same for you!

Feel free to ask questions or share your experiences in the comments. Happy coding!