Getting Started with Next.js and TypeScript

Combining Next.js with TypeScript allows you to build robust, scalable, and type-safe React applications. This guide walks you through setting up a new project with these technologies from scratch.

Why Next.js with TypeScript?

Next.js offers server-side rendering, static site generation, and a built-in routing system.
TypeScript adds static typing to JavaScript, helping catch errors during development.
Together, they improve productivity and code maintainability.

Step 1: Create a New Next.js App

Use the official Next.js CLI to create a new project with TypeScript support:

npx create-next-app@latest my-next-ts-app --typescript

Folder Structure

The project will be initialized with a basic structure:

/pages – Contains your routes
/public – Static assets
/styles – CSS files
tsconfig.json – TypeScript configuration

Step 2: Customize TypeScript Configuration

Modify tsconfig.json to suit your project’s needs. Here’s a basic example:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "es6",
    "module": "esnext",
    "strict": true,
    "jsx": "preserve",
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "isolatedModules": true,
    "noEmit": true
  },
  "include": ["next-env.d.ts", "**/*.ts", "**/*.tsx"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules"]
}

Step 3: Create Your First Component

Let’s create a simple component using TypeScript:

type GreetingProps = {
  name: string;
};

const Greeting = ({ name }: GreetingProps) => {
  return <h1>Hello, {name}!</h1>;
};

export default Greeting;

Step 4: Run the Development Server

Start your development server using:

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 to view your app.

Conclusion

Setting up Next.js with TypeScript is straightforward and beneficial for building robust, type-safe React applications. Whether you're building static websites or complex server-rendered apps, this stack is a great choice for modern web development.

Written by Anumeet Kumar – January 12, 2023 · 6 min read