Next.JS 5

Fifth Version of Next.JS

Next.js 5, released in March 2018, was a significant milestone for the framework, introducing key features that improved performance, compatibility, and ease of deployment. It expanded the possibilities for server-side rendering (SSR) and static export workflows, making Next.js even more popular among developers.

Here are the key details and features of Next.js 5:

Key Features of Next.js 5

1. Multi-Zone Support

Introduced the ability to compose multiple Next.js applications into a single application, referred to as multi-zone support.
Allowed developers to create micro-frontends or split large apps into smaller, maintainable parts.
Example: Different subdomains or URL paths could serve different Next.js apps.

module.exports = {
  exportPathMap: async function (defaultPathMap) {
    return {
    '/app1': { page: '/' },
    '/app2': { page: '/other' },
     };
    },
  };

2. Dynamic Import with SSR

Improved next/dynamic to support server-side rendering (SSR) for dynamically imported modules.
Allowed components to load conditionally on the server side without affecting SSR capabilities.
Example:

import dynamic from 'next/dynamic';
const DynamicComponent = dynamic(() => import('./SomeComponent'), { ssr: true });
function Page() {
return <DynamicComponent />;
}
export default Page;

3. Webpack 4 Integration

Next.js 5 adopted Webpack 4, resulting in:
Faster build times.
Smaller JavaScript bundles for better performance.
Built-in support for features like tree-shaking.

4. Automatic Static Optimization

Improved static file export process with better optimizations for pages without server-side code.
Allowed hybrid static/dynamic applications, setting the stage for static site generation features introduced in later versions.

5. Enhanced Error Handling

Improved error handling for SSR and client-side rendering, making debugging easier during development.

6. Production-ready Build Improvements

Improved the production build process to generate smaller bundles and better optimize client-side JavaScript.
Reduced initial load times for users.

7. Support for Custom server.js

Allowed developers to customize their server logic with a custom server.js file.
Example: Adding custom API endpoints or middleware logic.

const express = require(express);
const next = require(next);
const app = next({ dev: process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production' });
const handle = app.getRequestHandler();
app.prepare().then(() => {
const server = express();
server.get('/custom-route', (req, res) => {
return app.render(req, res, '/custom-page', req.query);
});
server.all('*', (req, res) => {
return handle(req, res);
});
server.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('> Ready on http://localhost:3000');
});
});

8. Improved Static Export (next export)

Enhanced the next export feature to work seamlessly with dynamic routing and custom configurations.

Performance Enhancements

Adopted faster and more optimized Webpack builds.
Reduced JavaScript bundle sizes, enhancing page load performance.
Introduced better caching mechanisms during the build process.

Community Impact

Next.js 5 marked a turning point for the framework by focusing on scalability, flexibility, and developer experience. It laid the groundwork for modern features like Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) and API routes introduced in later versions.

Limitations of Next.js 5

Still lacked built-in API routes, which required custom server logic.
No support for Static Site Generation (SSG) or Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) (introduced in Next.js 9 and 10).
Did not have advanced optimizations for images, fonts, and other assets (added in Next.js 10).

Next.JS