Using components in your project

Next.js is an open-source development framework built on top of Node.js, which allows for the rendering of React-based web applications on the server-side. One of the keys to building efficient and maintainable Next.js applications is understanding and utilizing components. This guide will take you through the process of using components in your Next.js project.

What is a Component?

In React and Next.js, a component is a reusable piece of code that controls a part of the UI. Components are like JavaScript functions that return HTML. They allow you to split the UI into independent, reusable pieces, and think about each piece in isolation.

function Welcome(props) {
  return <h1>Hello, {props.name}</h1>;
}

In the above example, Welcome is a simple functional component that accepts props (short for properties) and returns a React element.

Using Components in Your Project

To use a component, you need to import it into the file where it will be used. Let's say we have a Header component in a file named Header.js in the components directory. We can use it in our page like so:

import Header from '../components/Header'

export default function HomePage() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header />
      <p>Welcome to my Next.js app!</p>
    </div>
  );
}

In the above code, we import the Header component and then use it as a JSX tag <Header /> in our HomePage component. The Header component will be displayed wherever we put the <Header /> tag.

Passing Data to Components

We can pass data to components using props. Props (short for properties) are arguments passed into React components. Props are passed to components in the same way as arguments are passed in a function.

import Header from '../components/Header'

export default function HomePage() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header title="Home Page" />
      <p>Welcome to my Next.js app!</p>
    </div>
  );
}

In the above code, we pass a title prop to the Header component. Inside the Header component, we can access this prop using props.title.

Wrapping Up

Components are the building blocks of any React or Next.js application. They allow you to write reusable pieces of code, making your code more readable and maintainable. In this guide, we learned how to use components in a Next.js application, how to import them, and how to pass data to them using props. With this knowledge, you'll be able to structure your Next.js applications in a more modular and maintainable way.