Mastering Global State Management with Convex and Next.js

What is Convex?

Convex is a full-stack platform designed to simplify global state management. By providing a serverless approach to data storage, retrieval, and mutations, Convex enables developers to focus on building their applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. With its reactive architecture and support for features like optimistic updates and subscriptions, Convex is an ideal choice for modern web applications.

Setting up a Next.js Project with Convex

To get started, create a new Next.js project and install the Convex package using npm:

npm install convex

Then, initialize the Convex project by running:

npx convex init

Follow the prompts to set up your project.

Defining the Schema

In the convex/ folder, create a new file called schema.ts to define the schema for your application’s data:

import { defineTable } from 'convex';

export default defineTable('my_table', {
  id: { type: 'tring' },
  name: { type: 'tring' },
  // Add more columns as needed
});

Use the defineTable function to create a table for your data, and then run:

npx convex codegen

to generate type definitions for your schema.

Implementing Convex Functions

Convex functions allow your frontend to communicate with the database in two ways: queries and mutations. Create a new file in the convex/ folder for each function:

import { query } from 'convex';

export default query('getMyData', async ({ db }) => {
  // Query the database and return the result
});

Use the useQuery and useMutation hooks to interact with your data:

import { useQuery, useMutation } from 'convex';

const { data, error, isLoading } = useQuery('getMyData');
const { mutate, isLoading: isMutating } = useMutation('updateMyData');

Connecting the Component with Convex Functions

In your Next.js component, use the useQuery and useMutation hooks to fetch and update data from your Convex functions:

import { useQuery, useMutation } from 'convex';

function MyComponent() {
  const { data, error, isLoading } = useQuery('getMyData');
  const { mutate, isLoading: isMutating } = useMutation('updateMyData');

  if (isLoading) return

;
  if (error) return

;

  return (

  );
}

This will enable your component to react to changes in the data and update accordingly.

Managing Convex

To manage your Convex application, run:

npx convex dashboard

From here, you can view logs, metrics, and manage your application’s data.

Securing the Application with Auth0

To secure your application, integrate Auth0 with Convex:

1. 1. Create an Auth0 application.
   2. Install the Auth0 package in your project:

npm install @auth0/auth0-js

1. 1. Run:

npx convex auth add

to add Auth0 as the identity provider to Convex.

Deploying to Vercel

To deploy your application:

1. 1. Push your code to a repository on GitHub.
   2. Link it to your Vercel account.
   3. Replace the build command with:

npx convex push && next build

to push the latest functions to Convex while deploying.

By following these steps, you can build a scalable and secure Next.js application with global state management using Convex. With its reactive architecture and support for features like optimistic updates and subscriptions, Convex is an ideal choice for modern web applications.