ReactJs and NextJs are JavaScript libraries and frameworks respectively that can be used to build User Interfaces. So what is the difference? We will cover some hot topics that every front-end developer should know about these two.
Topics to be discussed:
Why ReactJS?
Pros & Cons of ReactJS
Why NextJS?
Pros & Cons of NextJS
Which is better?
When to use ReactJS?
When to use NextJS?
Why ReactJS?
ReactJS is a JavaScript library built by Meta, formerly known as Facebook. There are certain aspects that make ReactJs a widely adopted library besides other frameworks like Vue and Angular.
Virtual DOM
A Virtual DOM is a JavaScript object that is just a shallow copy of a Real DOM. A Real DOM is the entire structure of an HTML document. ReactJS uses Virtual DOM instead of Real DOM which makes it super rapid to load frequent changes in the webpage. While the Real DOM is pretty expensive to update in HTML pages, which is solved in ReactJS with Virtual DOM. Instead of updating the entire DOM, React JS only applies changes to specific nodes that we need to update.
Components
Let’s understand we need to create an e-commerce app, where we need to add a filter section at the top of the page, that would help users to find and sort products using filters. The catch is we also need to use filters on another page. But we can’t keep writing the same filter code again and again.
That’s where ReactJS’ s component-based features come in handy. We can create a separate component for filters and we can use them at multiple places without even making a mess of recurring codes.
JSX (JavaScript Syntax Extension)
JSX sounds familiar right? JavaScript? Yes. But more. JSX is a syntax extension that can be used to write HTML-like code within JavaScript. Now that makes sense.
JSX example:
const simpleLine = <p> I am a simple paragraph Tag </p>;
HTML code example:
const simpleLine = React.createElement('p', null, 'I am a simple text');
Since, JSX is more understandable, and easier for developers to build UI. JSX is not directly understood by browsers, There comes Babel, which converts JSX into regular JavaScript which browsers are meant to understand.
Pros & Cons of React JS
Pros:
Cons:
Fast, Easy to Learn
Re-rendering
Reusable Components
Requires offline support
Performance
Developers Community
Why NextJS?
Next.js is a framework, which is constructed upon the foundation of React, simplifying the process of fast and efficient, server-rendered websites. Next.js is built by Vercel, it is used by some big names like Airbnb, Twitter, and Uber.
Hot Code Reloading:
Want to see the immediate changes that you just made in your code? This is where Next.js’s Hot Code Reloading comes in handy. Also known as fast refresh. It helps developers to speed up their coding routine while designing at the same time.
Routing:
Next.js offers a predefined and organized file system for routing, presenting a more structured approach. It enables you to create pages within the pages directory, and the framework automatically constructs routes using these files.
Server Side Rendering:
Next.js facilitates SSR(Server-side rendering), which means Next.js generates the HTML page on the server, and then the HTML page is sent to the server. Due to this, initial page load is done at the server side, which increases site performance and SEO.
Compatibility:
Next is built with seamless integration capabilities into the React or Node ecosystem. Frontend developers can use their React skills to enhance the webpages. As Next.js is built upon React, which means it is quite easy for React developers to get into Next.js.
Pros & Cons of NextJS
Pros:
Cons:
Static Site Generation
Difficult Routing
Backend support
Less Community
Speed like Flash
Maintenance
Server Side Rendering
Easy to set up
Which is better?
In current times ReactJS is a widely adopted frontend JavaScript library. Meanwhile, React does not provide prebuilt routing that we need to rely on sideload libraries or packages. This is fixed in NextJS with its Automatic Routing, which generates routing as we create pages within our /src project directory.
The other reason ReactJS lacks behind NextJS is that it is a client-side library, meaning client browsers are supposed to render the UI which leads to slow page load. And a big no to SEO.
Whereas React can be a great tool to build SPA- Single Page Applications, Moreover react is more used, and due to its wide developers community, you can always fix that annoying bug. And remember NextJs is just a framework while React is a fully-fledged library.
Still, there are some factors that we need to consider while constructing our new project. Well, both React and Next are good in their way, but we can use only one right? For that, we have curated a few aspects that you might note down while planning for your next project!
When to use ReactJS?
Suitable for large-scale web application
Useful for complex routing
Powerful pack, when coupled with Redux
For offline support – most of the data are cached yet users can view data when they are offline
To create client-side rendered projects
Heavy data fetch
When to use NextJS?
Suitable for JAMStack applications
Backend and Frontend in the same project, then choose NextJS
To create Server Side rendered projects
Need Flash like the site, choose NextJS
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