Next.js Full-Stack Patterns

Production patterns for modern Next.js applications.

App Router Fundamentals

File-Based Routing

app/
├── layout.tsx          # Root layout (required)
├── page.tsx            # Home page (/)
├── loading.tsx         # Loading UI
├── error.tsx           # Error boundary
├── not-found.tsx       # 404 page
├── globals.css         # Global styles
│
├── (marketing)/        # Route group (no URL impact)
│   ├── about/
│   │   └── page.tsx    # /about
│   └── blog/
│       └── page.tsx    # /blog
│
├── dashboard/
│   ├── layout.tsx      # Dashboard layout
│   ├── page.tsx        # /dashboard
│   └── settings/
│       └── page.tsx    # /dashboard/settings
│
├── api/
│   └── route.ts        # API route (/api)
│
└── [slug]/
    └── page.tsx        # Dynamic route

Route Conventions

File	Purpose
page.tsx	Unique UI for route
layout.tsx	Shared UI, preserves state
template.tsx	Like layout but re-mounts
loading.tsx	Loading UI (Suspense)
error.tsx	Error boundary
not-found.tsx	404 UI
route.ts	API endpoint

---

Server vs Client Components

Default: Server Components

// app/posts/page.tsx (Server Component by default)
async function PostsPage() {
  const posts = await db.posts.findMany(); // Direct DB access
  
  return (
    <ul>
      {posts.map(post => (
        <li key={post.id}>{post.title}</li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
}

export default PostsPage;

Client Components

'use client'; // Required directive

import { useState } from 'react';

export function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
  
  return (
    <button onClick={() => setCount(c => c + 1)}>
      Count: {count}
    </button>
  );
}

When to Use Each

Server Components	Client Components
Data fetching	Event handlers (onClick, etc.)
Access backend resources	useState, useEffect
Sensitive data (tokens, keys)	Browser APIs
Large dependencies	Interactivity
SEO-critical content	Real-time updates

Composition Pattern

// Server Component with Client island
import { Counter } from './counter'; // Client component

async function Page() {
  const data = await fetchData(); // Server-side
  
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{data.title}</h1>
      <Counter /> {/* Client island */}
    </div>
  );
}

---

Data Fetching

Server Component Fetching

// Direct async/await in component
async function Page() {
  const data = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data', {
    cache: 'force-cache',     // Default: cache
    // cache: 'no-store',     // No cache (dynamic)
    // next: { revalidate: 60 } // ISR: revalidate every 60s
  });
  
  return <div>{data.title}</div>;
}

Parallel Data Fetching

async function Page() {
  // Parallel fetching (don't await sequentially)
  const [posts, comments] = await Promise.all([
    getPosts(),
    getComments(),
  ]);
  
  return (
    <>
      <Posts data={posts} />
      <Comments data={comments} />
    </>
  );
}

Streaming with Suspense

import { Suspense } from 'react';

async function Page() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Dashboard</h1>
      
      {/* Streams in when ready */}
      <Suspense fallback={<Loading />}>
        <SlowComponent />
      </Suspense>
    </div>
  );
}

---

Server Actions

Form Actions

// app/actions.ts
'use server';

import { revalidatePath } from 'next/cache';
import { redirect } from 'next/navigation';

export async function createPost(formData: FormData) {
  const title = formData.get('title') as string;
  
  await db.posts.create({ data: { title } });
  
  revalidatePath('/posts');
  redirect('/posts');
}

// app/posts/new/page.tsx
import { createPost } from '../actions';

export default function NewPost() {
  return (
    <form action={createPost}>
      <input name="title" required />
      <button type="submit">Create</button>
    </form>
  );
}

With useFormStatus

'use client';

import { useFormStatus } from 'react-dom';

function SubmitButton() {
  const { pending } = useFormStatus();
  
  return (
    <button type="submit" disabled={pending}>
      {pending ? 'Saving...' : 'Save'}
    </button>
  );
}

With useActionState

'use client';

import { useActionState } from 'react';
import { createPost } from './actions';

export function PostForm() {
  const [state, action, pending] = useActionState(createPost, null);
  
  return (
    <form action={action}>
      <input name="title" />
      {state?.error && <p>{state.error}</p>}
      <button disabled={pending}>Create</button>
    </form>
  );
}

---

API Routes

Route Handlers

// app/api/posts/route.ts
import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server';

export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
  const posts = await db.posts.findMany();
  return NextResponse.json(posts);
}

export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
  const body = await request.json();
  const post = await db.posts.create({ data: body });
  return NextResponse.json(post, { status: 201 });
}

Dynamic Route Handlers

// app/api/posts/[id]/route.ts
import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server';

export async function GET(
  request: NextRequest,
  { params }: { params: { id: string } }
) {
  const post = await db.posts.findUnique({ 
    where: { id: params.id } 
  });
  
  if (!post) {
    return NextResponse.json(
      { error: 'Not found' }, 
      { status: 404 }
    );
  }
  
  return NextResponse.json(post);
}

---

Authentication Pattern

Middleware Auth

// middleware.ts
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
import type { NextRequest } from 'next/server';

export function middleware(request: NextRequest) {
  const token = request.cookies.get('token'); <!-- allow-secret -->
  
  if (!token && request.nextUrl.pathname.startsWith('/dashboard')) {
    return NextResponse.redirect(new URL('/login', request.url));
  }
  
  return NextResponse.next();
}

export const config = {
  matcher: ['/dashboard/:path*'],
};

Auth Context Pattern

// lib/auth.ts
import { cookies } from 'next/headers';
import { cache } from 'react';

export const getUser = cache(async () => {
  const token = cookies().get('token')?.value; <!-- allow-secret -->
  if (!token) return null;
  
  // Validate token, fetch user
  return await validateAndFetchUser(token);
});

// app/dashboard/page.tsx
import { getUser } from '@/lib/auth';
import { redirect } from 'next/navigation';

export default async function Dashboard() {
  const user = await getUser();
  
  if (!user) {
    redirect('/login');
  }
  
  return <div>Welcome, {user.name}</div>;
}

---

Database Patterns

Prisma Setup

// lib/db.ts
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';

const globalForPrisma = globalThis as unknown as {
  prisma: PrismaClient | undefined;
};

export const db = globalForPrisma.prisma ?? new PrismaClient();

if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
  globalForPrisma.prisma = db;
}

Data Access Layer

// lib/data/posts.ts
import { db } from '@/lib/db';
import { cache } from 'react';

export const getPosts = cache(async () => {
  return db.post.findMany({
    orderBy: { createdAt: 'desc' },
    include: { author: true },
  });
});

export const getPost = cache(async (id: string) => {
  return db.post.findUnique({
    where: { id },
    include: { author: true },
  });
});

---

Error Handling

Error Boundary

'use client';

export default function Error({
  error,
  reset,
}: {
  error: Error & { digest?: string };
  reset: () => void;
}) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h2>Something went wrong!</h2>
      <button onClick={() => reset()}>Try again</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Not Found

// app/posts/[id]/page.tsx
import { notFound } from 'next/navigation';

export default async function Post({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) {
  const post = await getPost(params.id);
  
  if (!post) {
    notFound();
  }
  
  return <article>{post.content}</article>;
}

---

Metadata & SEO

Static Metadata

// app/about/page.tsx
import type { Metadata } from 'next';

export const metadata: Metadata = {
  title: 'About Us',
  description: 'Learn about our company',
};

Dynamic Metadata

// app/posts/[id]/page.tsx
import type { Metadata } from 'next';

export async function generateMetadata({ 
  params 
}: { 
  params: { id: string } 
}): Promise<Metadata> {
  const post = await getPost(params.id);
  
  return {
    title: post?.title,
    description: post?.excerpt,
  };
}

---

Project Structure

├── app/                  # App Router
├── components/
│   ├── ui/              # Reusable UI components
│   └── features/        # Feature-specific components
├── lib/
│   ├── db.ts            # Database client
│   ├── auth.ts          # Auth utilities
│   └── utils.ts         # General utilities
├── actions/             # Server Actions
├── types/               # TypeScript types
├── hooks/               # Custom React hooks
└── public/              # Static assets

---

References

• references/deployment-checklist.md - Production deployment
• references/performance-patterns.md - Optimization techniques
• references/testing-patterns.md - Testing Next.js apps