Getting Started with Next.js 15

Introduction

Next.js 15 brings significant improvements to the React ecosystem with enhanced performance, better developer experience, and powerful new features. In this article, we'll explore what makes Next.js 15 a game-changer for modern web development.

What's New in Next.js 15

React Server Components

React Server Components (RSC) are now stable in Next.js 15. This architecture allows you to build components that run exclusively on the server, reducing the JavaScript bundle size sent to the client.

// app/components/ServerComponent.tsx
async function ServerComponent() {
  const data = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
  const json = await data.json();
 
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Server-side Rendered Data</h1>
      <pre>{JSON.stringify(json, null, 2)}</pre>
    </div>
  );
}

Improved Performance

Next.js 15 includes several performance optimizations:

• Faster builds with improved caching mechanisms
• Better tree-shaking to reduce bundle sizes
• Optimized image loading with automatic WebP conversion
• Streaming SSR for faster initial page loads

New Turbopack Features

Turbopack, the Rust-based successor to Webpack, is now more stable and includes:

1. Hot Module Replacement (HMR) that's 10x faster
2. Better error messages and debugging
3. Improved CSS handling

Getting Started

To create a new Next.js 15 project, run:

npx create-next-app@latest my-app
cd my-app
npm run dev

Project Structure

The App Router introduces a new file-system based routing:

app/
├── layout.tsx      # Root layout
├── page.tsx        # Home page
├── blog/
│   ├── page.tsx    # Blog listing
│   └── [slug]/
│       └── page.tsx # Blog post

Conclusion

Next.js 15 represents a major step forward in modern web development. With React Server Components, improved performance, and better developer tooling, it's an excellent choice for building production-ready applications.

Try it out in your next project and experience the improvements firsthand!