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How to Integrate Next.js with Django: A Step-by-Step Guide

Jigar Vishwakarma

Introduction#

By combining Next.js and Django, you can take use of both frameworks' strengths: Next.js provides a quick, server-rendered frontend, while Django offers a stable backend. In this tutorial, we'll create a basic book review application in which Next.js retrieves and presents book data that Django delivers over an API.

After completing this tutorial, you will have a functional setup in which Next.js renders dynamic book reviews by using Django's API.

Integrate Next.js with Django
---

Why Use Next.js with Django?#

✅ Fast Rendering: Next.js supports SSR (Server-Side Rendering) and SSG (Static Site Generation), improving performance.

✅ Separation of Concerns: Business logic is handled by Django, and UI rendering is done by Next.js.

✅ Scalability: Since each technology can grow on its own, future improvements will be simpler.

Step 1: Setting Up Django as the Backend#

1. Install Django and Django REST Framework#

Create a virtual environment and install dependencies:

# Create and activate a virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # macOS/Linux
venv\Scripts\activate # Windows
# Install Django and DRF
pip install django djangorestframework

2. Create a Django Project and App#

django-admin startproject book_api
cd book_api
django-admin startapp reviews

3. Configure Django REST Framework#

In settings.py, add REST framework and the reviews app:

INSTALLED_APPS = [
'django.contrib.admin',
'django.contrib.auth',
'django.contrib.contenttypes',
'django.contrib.sessions',
'django.contrib.messages',
'django.contrib.staticfiles',
'rest_framework',
'reviews',
]

4. Define the Book Review Model#

In reviews/models.py:

from django.db import models
class BookReview(models.Model):
title = models.CharField(max_length=200)
author = models.CharField(max_length=100)
review = models.TextField()
rating = models.IntegerField()
def __str__(self):
return self.title

Run migrations:

python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate

5. Create a Serializer and API View#

In reviews/serializers.py:

from rest_framework import serializers
from .models import BookReview
class BookReviewSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = BookReview
fields = '__all__'

In reviews/views.py:

from rest_framework.generics import ListAPIView
from .models import BookReview
from .serializers import BookReviewSerializer
class BookReviewListView(ListAPIView):
queryset = BookReview.objects.all()
serializer_class = BookReviewSerializer

Add a URL route in reviews/urls.py:

from django.urls import path
from .views import BookReviewListView
urlpatterns = [
path('reviews/', BookReviewListView.as_view(), name='book-reviews'),
]

Include this in book_api/urls.py:

from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path, include
urlpatterns = [
path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
path('api/', include('reviews.urls')),
]

Run the server:

python manage.py runserver

You can now access book reviews at http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/reviews/.

Step 2: Setting Up Next.js as the Frontend#

1. Install Next.js#

In a new terminal, create a Next.js app:

npx create-next-app@latest book-review-frontend
cd book-review-frontend
npm install

2. Fetch Data from Django API#

Modify pages/index.js to fetch book reviews:

import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
export default function Home() {
const [reviews, setReviews] = useState([]);
useEffect(() => {
fetch("http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/reviews/")
.then(response => response.json())
.then(data => setReviews(data));
}, []);
return (
<div>
<h1>Book Reviews</h1>
<ul>
{reviews.map(review => (
<li key={review.id}>
<h2>{review.title} by {review.author}</h2>
<p>{review.review}</p>
<strong>Rating: {review.rating}/5</strong>
</li>
))}
</ul>
</div>
);
}

3. Start the Next.js Server#

Run:

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000/ to see book reviews fetched from Django!

Step 3: Connecting Frontend and Backend#

Since Django and Next.js run on different ports (8000 and 3000), we need to handle CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing).

1. Install Django CORS Headers#

In Django, install CORS middleware:

pip install django-cors-headers

Add it to settings.py:

INSTALLED_APPS += ['corsheaders']
MIDDLEWARE.insert(1, 'corsheaders.middleware.CorsMiddleware')
CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS = [
"http://localhost:3000",
]

Restart Django:

python manage.py runserver

Now, Next.js can fetch data without CORS issues!

Conclusion#

You've created a book review app by successfully integrating Next.js with Django. What we did was as follows:

  1. Use the Django REST Framework to install Django.
  2. To offer book reviews, an API was developed.
  3. Created a frontend using Next.js to show reviews.
  4. Set up CORS to allow front-end and back-end communication.

This setup provides a solid foundation for full-stack development. You can now extend it with Django Authentication, a database, or advanced UI components!

Looking to deploy your full-stack application seamlessly? Check out Nife.io a powerful platform for serverless deployment, scaling, and cloud cost optimization! 🚀

Further Reading#

Migrating from Create React App (CRA) to Next.js: A Step-by-Step Guide

Jigar Vishwakarma

React to Next js Migration

Next.js has been a popular choice among React developers because to its built-in features like as server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), and a strong emphasis on performance and scalability. If you already have a project developed with Create React App (CRA) and want to migrate to Next.js, this guide will bring you through the process step by step.

Why Migrate from CRA to Next.js?#

Before diving into the migration process, let's explore the benefits of Next.js over CRA:

  1. Improved Performance:SSR and SSG increase page load time and SEO.
  2. Built-in Routing: Next.js provides file-based routing, which eliminates the requirement for libraries such as React Router.
  3. API Routes: Create serverless functions from within your app.
  4. Optimized Bundling: Next.js offers improved tree-shaking and code splitting.

Learn more about Next.js features.

Step 1: Set Up the Next.js Project#

Start by creating a new Next.js project:

npx create-next-app@latest my-nextjs-app
cd my-nextjs-app

If you use TypeScript in your CRA project, you can enable it in Next.js by renaming files to '.tsx' and installing the required dependencies:

touch tsconfig.json
npm install --save-dev typescript @types/react @types/node

Step 2: Move CRA Files to Next.js#

1. Copy src Files#

Copy all files from the src folder in your CRA project to the pages or components folder in your Next.js project. Organize them logically:

  • Place React components in a components folder.
  • Place page-level components in the pages folder.

2. Transfer Static Files#

Move files from the public directory of CRA to the public directory in Next.js.

3. Remove index.js#

Next.js uses pages/index.js as the default entry point. Rename or move your App.js content to pages/index.js.

Step 3: Update Routing#

Next.js employs file-based routing, so you don't require a routing package like React Router. Replace React Router routes with this file structure:

1. Update Route Logic#

In CRA:

<BrowserRouter>
<Route path="/" component={Home} />
<Route path="/about" component={About} />
</BrowserRouter>

In Next.js, create corresponding files:

pages/
index.js // for Home
about.js // for About

2. Update Navigation#

Replace <Link> from React Router with Next.js's <Link>:

import Link from 'next/link';
function Navbar() {
return (
<nav>
<Link href="/">Home</Link>
<Link href="/about">About</Link>
</nav>
);
}

Read more about Next.js routing.

Step 4: Update Styles#

If you're using CSS or Sass, ensure styles are compatible with Next.js:

1. Global Styles#

Move CRA's index.css to styles/globals.css in Next.js.

Import it in pages/_app.js:

import '../styles/globals.css';
export default function App({ Component, pageProps }) {
return <Component {...pageProps} />;
}

2. CSS Modules#

Next.js supports CSS Modules out of the box. Rename CSS files to [ComponentName].module.css and import them directly into the component.

Step 5: Update API Calls#

Next.js supports server-side logic via API routes. If your CRA app relies on a separate backend or makes API calls, you can:

1. Migrate API Calls#

Move server-side logic to pages/api. For example:

// pages/api/hello.js
export default function handler(req, res) {
res.status(200).json({ message: 'Hello from Next.js!' });
}

2. Update Client-Side Fetches#

Update fetch URLs to point to the new API routes or external APIs.

Step 6: Optimize for SSR and SSG#

Next.js provides several data-fetching methods. Replace CRA's useEffect with appropriate Next.js methods:

1. Static Site Generation (SSG)#

export async function getStaticProps() {
const data = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
const json = await data.json();
return {
props: { data: json },
};
}
export default function Home({ data }) {
return <div>{data.title}</div>;
}

2. Server-Side Rendering (SSR)#

export async function getServerSideProps() {
const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
const data = await res.json();
return { props: { data } };
}
export default function Page({ data }) {
return <div>{data.title}</div>;
}

Step 7: Install Required Dependencies#

Next.js requires some specific dependencies that may differ from CRA:

  1. Install any missing packages:
npm install next react react-dom
  1. Install additional packages if you used specific libraries in CRA (e.g., Axios, Redux, Tailwind CSS).

Step 8: Test the Application#

  1. Run the development server:
npm run dev
  1. Check the console and fix any errors or warnings.
  2. Test all pages and routes to ensure the migration was successful.

Step 9: Deploy the Next.js App#

Next.js simplifies deployment with platforms like Oikos by Nife:

  1. Push your project to a Git repository (e.g., GitHub).
  2. Build your Next.js app locally.
  3. Upload your build app from the Oikos dashboard and deploy it.

Learn more about Site Deployment.

Conclusion#

Migrating from CRA to Next.js may appear difficult, but by following these steps, you may fully benefit from Next.js' advanced capabilities and performance optimizations. Your migration will go smoothly and successfully if you plan ahead of time and test thoroughly.