Getting Started with Next.js and MDX

Welcome to my first blog post! In this article, I'll share my experience building a personal website using Next.js 14 and MDX.

Why Next.js?

Next.js has become my go-to framework for building React applications. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Server-Side Rendering (SSR) - Improved performance and SEO
2. Static Site Generation (SSG) - Lightning-fast page loads
3. App Router - Modern routing with React Server Components
4. Built-in Optimization - Image optimization, font loading, and more

Performance Benefits

The performance improvements with Next.js are substantial. With static generation, pages are pre-rendered at build time, resulting in incredibly fast load times.

Working with MDX

MDX combines the simplicity of Markdown with the power of JSX. This means you can write content in Markdown while embedding React components when needed.

Basic Markdown Syntax

Here's a quick example of common Markdown elements:

Bold text and italic text are easy to write. You can also create inline code snippets.

Code Examples

Let's look at a simple React component:

interface ButtonProps {
  label: string;
  onClick: () => void;
}

export function Button({ label, onClick }: ButtonProps) {
  return (
    <button
      onClick={onClick}
      className="px-4 py-2 bg-green-500 text-white rounded hover:bg-green-600"
    >
      {label}
    </button>
  );
}

And here's how you might use it:

<Button 
  label="Click me" 
  onClick={() => console.log('Button clicked!')} 
/>

Working with Data

Here's a utility function for fetching blog posts:

import fs from 'fs';
import path from 'path';
import matter from 'gray-matter';

export async function getAllPosts() {
  const postsDirectory = path.join(process.cwd(), 'posts');
  const filenames = fs.readdirSync(postsDirectory);
  
  const posts = filenames
    .filter(filename => filename.endsWith('.mdx'))
    .map(filename => {
      const filePath = path.join(postsDirectory, filename);
      const fileContents = fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf8');
      const { data } = matter(fileContents);
      
      return {
        slug: filename.replace('.mdx', ''),
        ...data
      };
    });
  
  return posts.sort((a, b) => 
    new Date(b.date).getTime() - new Date(a.date).getTime()
  );
}

Lists and Organization

Unordered Lists

• Next.js 14 with App Router
• TypeScript for type safety
• Tailwind CSS for styling
• MDX for content management
• Vercel for deployment

Ordered Lists

1. Set up the Next.js project
2. Configure MDX support
3. Create the blog structure
4. Design the UI components
5. Deploy to production

Nested Lists

• Frontend Technologies
  • React 18
  • Next.js 14
  • TypeScript
• Styling
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Custom green theme
• Content
  • MDX files
  • Frontmatter metadata

Blockquotes

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." - Alan Kay

This quote resonates with me as a software engineer. We're constantly building the tools and systems that shape tomorrow.

Links and Resources

Check out these helpful resources:

• Next.js Documentation
• MDX Documentation
• Tailwind CSS

Conclusion

Building with Next.js and MDX has been a great experience. The combination of static generation, React components, and Markdown simplicity creates a powerful platform for content-driven websites.

In my next post, I'll dive deeper into advanced MDX features and custom components.

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Thanks for reading! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.