Welcome to this comprehensive tutorial on setting up a modern Next.js project with TypeScript. We'll cover everything from initial setup to deployment best practices. ## Prerequisites Node.js 18+ installed on your machine Basic knowledge of React and JavaScript Understanding of TypeScript basics (recommended) Familiarity with command line interface ## What We'll Build In this tutorial, we'll create a modern Next.js application with the following features: - Type-safe development environment - Better IDE support and autocomplete - Catch errors at compile time - Improved code documentation - Tailwind CSS for styling - ESLint and Prettier for code quality - Hot reload development server - Production-ready build system ## Step-by-Step Setup Start by creating a new Next.js project with TypeScript template: ```bash npx create-next-app@latest my-nextjs-app --typescript --tailwind --eslint --app cd my-nextjs-app ``` This command creates a new Next.js project with: - TypeScript configuration - Tailwind CSS setup - ESLint configuration - App Router (recommended) Let's examine the generated project structure: ```text my-nextjs-app/ ├── src/ │ └── app/ │ ├── globals.css │ ├── layout.tsx │ └── page.tsx ├── public/ ├── next.config.js ├── package.json ├── tailwind.config.js └── tsconfig.json ``` The `src/app` directory is where you'll build your application. The App Router uses file-based routing, where each folder represents a route segment. Next.js automatically configures TypeScript, but let's understand the key configuration files: ```json title="tsconfig.json" { "compilerOptions": { "lib": ["dom", "dom.iterable", "es6"], "allowJs": true, "skipLibCheck": true, "strict": true, "noEmit": true, "esModuleInterop": true, "module": "esnext", "moduleResolution": "bundler", "resolveJsonModule": true, "isolatedModules": true, "jsx": "preserve", "incremental": true, "plugins": [ { "name": "next" } ], "baseUrl": ".", "paths": { "@/*": ["./src/*"] } }, "include": ["next-env.d.ts", "**/*.ts", "**/*.tsx", ".next/types/**/*.ts"], "exclude": ["node_modules"] } ``` Let's create a reusable Button component with proper TypeScript types: ```tsx title="Button Component" filename="src/components/ui/Button.tsx" import React from 'react'; import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'; interface ButtonProps extends React.ButtonHTMLAttributes { variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'outline'; size?: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg'; children: React.ReactNode; } export function Button({ variant = 'primary', size = 'md', className, children, ...props }: ButtonProps) { return ( ); } ``` ## Best Practices Always use TypeScript's strict mode to catch potential issues early. This includes proper type annotations for props, state, and function parameters. Here are some essential best practices when working with Next.js and TypeScript: ### Type Safety Always define interfaces for your component props: ```tsx interface UserCardProps { user: { id: string; name: string; email: string; }; onEdit?: (id: string) => void; } ``` Type your API responses for better development experience: ```tsx interface ApiResponse { success: boolean; data?: T; error?: string; } ``` ### Performance Optimization Always use Next.js `Image` component instead of regular `img` tags for automatic optimization, lazy loading, and better performance. ```tsx title="Optimized Image Usage" import Image from 'next/image'; export function UserAvatar({ src, alt }: { src: string; alt: string }) { return ( {alt}

); } ``` ## Common Gotchas **Hydration Mismatch**: Make sure your server-side rendered content matches what's rendered on the client. Avoid using browser-only APIs during initial render. Here are some common issues you might encounter: 1. **Server vs Client Code**: Remember that Next.js runs on both server and client 2. **Dynamic Imports**: Use `dynamic` imports for client-only components 3. **Environment Variables**: Prefix client-side env vars with `NEXT_PUBLIC_` ```tsx title="Client-Only Component" import dynamic from 'next/dynamic'; // This component will only render on the client const ClientOnlyComponent = dynamic( () => import('@/components/ClientOnlyComponent'), { ssr: false } ); ``` ## Testing Your Application ```bash npm install --save-dev @testing-library/react @testing-library/jest-dom jest jest-environment-jsdom ``` Create a `jest.config.js` file in your project root: ```javascript filename="jest.config.js" const nextJest = require('next/jest'); const createJestConfig = nextJest({ dir: './', }); const customJestConfig = { setupFilesAfterEnv: ['/jest.setup.js'], testEnvironment: 'jest-environment-jsdom', }; module.exports = createJestConfig(customJestConfig); ``` ## Deployment Next.js applications are ready for production out of the box. The framework automatically optimizes your code for the best performance. ### Deploy to Vercel The easiest way to deploy your Next.js app is using Vercel: ```bash npm install -g vercel vercel --prod ``` ### Build for Production ```bash npm run build npm start ``` ## What's Next? Congratulations! You now have a solid foundation for building modern web applications with Next.js and TypeScript. Here are some next steps to consider: --- That's it! You're now ready to build amazing web applications with Next.js and TypeScript. Remember to keep practicing and exploring the ecosystem to become more proficient.

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