Starting out
What a framework adds to React, what a Next.js project looks like on disk, and the three commands: dev, build and start.
3 of 3 written
Next.js, from zero
Next.js 16 from the first page to a tested, authenticated app, and every line of output on every page really ran.
Where this stands
31 of 31 lessons written. The bar on every card below is counted from the lesson files that exist, not from a number I typed. A lesson that is planned and unwritten says so on its own page too.
- Node v26.7.0, Next.js 16.3.1, React 19.2.7
- 7 next build runs (3 succeed, 4 fail on purpose), 5 next start sessions, 1 next dev session
- 19 build panels, 72 http panels, 10 dev panels, 5 terminal panels, 19 listings
- 246 files shown
- 495 checks passed
- 19 entries in the error catalogue
- Starting out: 3 of 3 lessons written
- Routing: 4 of 4 lessons written
- Components: 5 of 5 lessons written
- Data: 4 of 4 lessons written
- Mutating and serving: 5 of 5 lessons written
- Configuration and assets: 4 of 4 lessons written
- Auth by hand: 2 of 2 lessons written
- Quality and shipping: 3 of 3 lessons written
- Project: 1 of 1 lessons written
- network canaries: 4 of 4 blocked
Every panel not marked shown, not run ran the real Next.js when this page was built, and its badge says which command. No network, and no npm dependencies of its own: Next.js and everything it needs are vendored and checked by hash.
Routing
Folders are routes: pages and layouts, dynamic segments and route groups, linking, and the loading, error and not-found files.
4 of 4 written
Components
Server components, client components and the boundary between them, static against dynamic rendering, and streaming.
5 of 5 written
Data
Fetching on the server, the default caching model counted in requests, on-demand revalidation, and Cache Components.
4 of 4 written
Mutating and serving
Server Actions and forms, route handlers, proxy.js, and cookies, headers and the async request APIs.
5 of 5 written
Configuration and assets
Environment variables and next.config.mjs, metadata, images and fonts, all served from this machine.
4 of 4 written
Auth by hand
Sessions built from node:crypto and a signed cookie, and protecting routes in two places.
2 of 2 written
Quality and shipping
Testing without extra packages, reading the output of next build, and what deployment needs.
3 of 3 written
Project
One small authenticated notes app, end to end: built, served, requested and tested by panels that really ran.
1 of 1 written