Next.js and GraphQL: A Practical Guide for Beginners

? Dive into the world of Next.js and GraphQL with our practical guide for beginners! Learn how to leverage the power of these technologies and build amazing web applications. ??

Next.js is a popular React framework that allows you to build server-rendered React applications with ease. GraphQL, on the other hand, is a query language for APIs and a runtime for executing those queries with your existing data. This combination of Next.js and GraphQL provides a powerful toolset for building modern web applications.

In this practical guide, we will walk you through the process of setting up a Next.js project and integrating GraphQL into it. We’ll cover both querying and mutating data using GraphQL and also touch upon handling authentication.

#Setting up the Development Environment Setting up the Development Environment

Before we get started, let’s ensure that we have all the necessary tools installed on our development machine. We’ll need:

• Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager)
• A text editor of your choice (such as Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, or Atom)

Once you have these tools set up, we can proceed to the next step.

Top ↑

#Creating a Next.js Project Creating a Next.js Project

To create a new Next.js project, open your terminal and run the following commands:

npx create-next-app my-next-app
cd my-next-app

This will create a new Next.js project in a directory called my-next-app. Navigate into the project directory by running cd my-next-app.

Top ↑

#Integrating GraphQL into Next.js Integrating GraphQL into Next.js

To integrate GraphQL into your Next.js project, you’ll need to install the necessary packages. Run the following command in your terminal:

npm install graphql apollo-boost react-apollo

Next, open the _app.js file in the pages directory and import the necessary dependencies:

import { ApolloProvider } from 'react-apollo';
import ApolloClient from 'apollo-boost';

const client = new ApolloClient({
  uri: 'https://example.com/graphql', // Replace with your GraphQL API endpoint
});

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <ApolloProvider client={client}>
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </ApolloProvider>
  );
}

export default MyApp;

Top ↑

#Querying Data with GraphQL in Next.js Querying Data with GraphQL in Next.js

Now that we have set up the GraphQL client, let’s see how to query data using GraphQL in Next.js. Create a new file called index.js in the pages directory and add the following code:

import { useQuery } from 'react-apollo';
import gql from 'graphql-tag';

const GET_USERS = gql`
  query {
    users {
      id
      name
      email
    }
  }
`;

function UsersList() {
  const { loading, error, data } = useQuery(GET_USERS);

  if (loading) return <p>Loading...</p>;
  if (error) return <p>Error: {error.message}</p>;

  return (
    <ul>
      {data.users.map((user) => (
        <li key={user.id}>
          {user.name} - {user.email}
        </li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
}

export default function Home() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Users</h1>
      <UsersList />
    </div>
  );
}

Top ↑

#Mutating Data with GraphQL in Next.js Mutating Data with GraphQL in Next.js

To mutate data using GraphQL in Next.js, add the following code to your index.js file:

import { useMutation } from 'react-apollo';
import gql from 'graphql-tag';

const ADD_USER = gql`
  mutation ($name: String!, $email: String!) {
    addUser(name: $name, email: $email) {
      id
      name
      email
    }
  }
`;

function AddUserForm() {
  let nameInput, emailInput;
  const [addUser, { error }] = useMutation(ADD_USER);

  const handleSubmit = (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    addUser({
      variables: {
        name: nameInput.value,
        email: emailInput.value,
      },
    });
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <input
        type="text"
        placeholder="Name"
        ref={(node) => {
          nameInput = node;
        }}
      />
      <input
        type="email"
        placeholder="Email"
        ref={(node) => {
          emailInput = node;
        }}
      />
      <button type="submit">Add User</button>
      {error && <p>Error: {error.message}</p>}
    </form>
  );
}

export default function Home() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Users</h1>
      <UsersList />
      <AddUserForm />
    </div>
  );
}

Top ↑

#Handling Authentication with GraphQL in Next.js Handling Authentication with GraphQL in Next.js

Handling authentication with GraphQL in Next.js would depend on the specific authentication mechanism you choose to implement. However, a common approach is to use JSON Web Tokens (JWT).

You can implement a login form that sends user credentials to the server and receives a JWT token in response. This token can then be stored on the client and sent as an authorization header with each subsequent GraphQL request.

For a complete implementation of JWT authentication with GraphQL in Next.js, we recommend referring to the official documentation of your chosen GraphQL server or framework.

Top ↑

#Conclusion Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve learned the basics of Next.js and GraphQL integration. In this guide, we covered setting up a Next.js project, integrating GraphQL, querying and mutating data and briefly touched upon authentication.

Next.js and GraphQL offer a powerful combination for building modern web applications with ease. We encourage you to continue exploring the extensive capabilities of both technologies.

Happy coding!