Introduction

In this tutorial, we'll explore how to deploy a Next.js application on Netlify. Next.js is a popular React framework that enables features like server-side rendering and static site generation, while Netlify is a cloud computing company offering hosting and serverless backend services for web applications and static websites.

By the end of this tutorial, you'll learn:

• How to configure your Next.js project for static export
• How to set up a Netlify build command
• How to deploy your Next.js application on Netlify

This tutorial assumes that you have basic knowledge of JavaScript and React. It also requires you to have Node.js and npm installed on your system.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Install Next.js

First, we need to install Next.js. In your terminal, navigate to your project folder and use the following command:

npx create-next-app@latest

This command will create a new Next.js application in a directory called my-app.

Step 2: Configure Next.js for Static Export

Open the next.config.js file in your project root. If it doesn't exist, create it. Add the following code to set up static export:

module.exports = {
  exportPathMap: function() {
    return {
      "/": { page: "/" },
    };
  },
};

This configuration tells Next.js to enable static HTML export and create a map of pages to be exported.

Step 3: Create a Build Script

Next, we need to add a build script to our package.json file. This script will build and export our project for static hosting:

"scripts": {
  "dev": "next",
  "build": "next build && next export",
  "start": "next start"
}

Step 4: Deploy to Netlify

Create a new site on Netlify and connect it to your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository.

In the build settings, set the build command to npm run build. The publish directory should be out.

Code Examples

Example: Adding a New Page

You can add new pages to your Next.js app by creating a new .js file in the pages directory. Here's an example of a basic page:

// pages/about.js

function About() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>About Page</h1>
    </div>
  );
}

export default About;

This will create a new page at /about in your application.

Summary

In this tutorial, we've learned how to configure a Next.js project for static export and deploy it on Netlify. We've also learned how to add new pages to our Next.js application.

For further learning, you might want to explore how to add dynamic routes in Next.js or how to use Netlify functions to create serverless APIs.

Practice Exercises

1. Exercise 1: Create a new Next.js application and configure it for static export.

2. Hint: Use the npx command to create a new Next.js app, and modify the next.config.js file for static export.

3. Exercise 2: Add a new page to your Next.js application.

4. Hint: Create a new .js file in the pages directory, and export a React component from this file.

5. Exercise 3: Deploy your Next.js application on Netlify.

6. Hint: Connect your repository to Netlify, and set the build command and publish directory in the build settings.

Remember, the key to learning is practice. You can further enhance your skills by building more complex applications and trying out different deployment platforms. Have fun coding!