Next.js 12: A Game-Changer in the React Ecosystem
As the most popular framework in the React ecosystem, Next.js continues to revolutionize the way we build React applications. With the release of Next 12, developers can expect a plethora of exciting features that will take their projects to the next level.
Optimized Performance with Rust Compiler
One of the key features of Next 12 is performance optimization. By replacing the Babel compiler with an extensible Rust compiler, SWC, Next.js promises optimized bundling and compiling with 3 times faster refresh locally and 5 times faster builds for production. This results in faster build times on production and instant feedback in local development, leading to a better developer experience and faster development time.
The Power of Middlewares
Middleware is another exciting feature in Next 12. It enables developers to use code over configuration, allowing them to run code before a request is completed and modify the response by rewriting, redirecting, adding headers, and more. With middleware, developers can implement features like authentication, bot protection, redirects and rewrites, server-side analytics, logging, and handling unsupported browsers.
React 18 Support
Next 12 also introduces experimental support for React 18, including server-side Suspense and the automatic patching of updates. This allows developers to take advantage of React 18’s features, such as server-side rendering using HTTP streaming, and React Server Components, which enable native rendering of HTML from a React component on the server.
ES Module Support and URL Import
Next 12 prioritizes ES modules over CommonJS, making it easier for developers to adopt ES modules incrementally. Additionally, Next 12 experimentally supports URL imports of packages that use ES modules, allowing developers to import packages directly from a URL without installation or separate build steps.
Bot-Aware ISR Fallback and Smaller Images
Other notable features in Next 12 include the Bot-Aware ISR fallback, which automatically server-renders ISR pages for web crawlers, and support for AVIF images, which enables 20 percent smaller images compared to WebP.
Output File Tracing and More
Finally, Next 12 improves output file tracing by bringing Vercel’s @verce/nft package to Next.js 12, allowing integrators to automatically leverage the traces Next provides.
The Future of React Development
With its plethora of exciting features, Next 12 is set to revolutionize the way we build React applications. Although some features are still experimental, developers can opt-in and start using them today. As React 18 moves towards a stable release, Next 12 is poised to become an essential tool in every React developer’s toolkit.