Next.js Popular Libraries

Introduction

The Next.js ecosystem has grown tremendously, offering a wide range of libraries that extend its capabilities and make development easier. These libraries help you build robust applications faster while following best practices. In this guide, we'll explore the most popular and useful libraries in the Next.js ecosystem that every beginner should know about.

As a React-based framework, Next.js benefits from both React-specific libraries and those built specifically for Next.js. Let's dive into these essential tools that can supercharge your Next.js development journey.

State Management Libraries

React Query

React Query is a powerful data fetching and caching library that simplifies server state management in your Next.js applications.

Key Features:

Automatic caching and refetching
Loading and error states management
Pagination and infinite scrolling support
Request deduplication

Basic Example:

jsx
// Install with: npm install @tanstack/react-query

import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider, useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';

// Create a client
const queryClient = new QueryClient();

// Wrap your app with QueryClientProvider
function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </QueryClientProvider>
  );
}

// Use in your component
function UserProfile() {
  const { isLoading, error, data } = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['userData'],
    queryFn: () => fetch('/api/user').then(res => res.json())
  });

  if (isLoading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
  if (error) return <div>Error fetching data</div>;

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>User Profile</h1>
      <p>Name: {data.name}</p>
      <p>Email: {data.email}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Redux Toolkit

Redux Toolkit is the official, opinionated toolset for Redux, simplifying global state management in larger applications.

Basic Setup:

jsx
// Install with: npm install @reduxjs/toolkit react-redux

// store.js
import { configureStore, createSlice } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';

const counterSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'counter',
  initialState: { value: 0 },
  reducers: {
    increment: (state) => {
      state.value += 1;
    },
    decrement: (state) => {
      state.value -= 1;
    },
  },
});

export const { increment, decrement } = counterSlice.actions;

export const store = configureStore({
  reducer: {
    counter: counterSlice.reducer,
  },
});

// _app.js
import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
import { store } from '../store';

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <Provider store={store}>
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </Provider>
  );
}

// Component.js
import { useSelector, useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
import { increment, decrement } from '../store';

function Counter() {
  const count = useSelector((state) => state.counter.value);
  const dispatch = useDispatch();

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Count: {count}</h1>
      <button onClick={() => dispatch(increment())}>Increment</button>
      <button onClick={() => dispatch(decrement())}>Decrement</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Zustand

Zustand is a minimalist state management solution that offers a simple API with hooks.

jsx
// Install with: npm install zustand

import create from 'zustand';

// Create a store
const useStore = create((set) => ({
  count: 0,
  increment: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count + 1 })),
  decrement: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count - 1 })),
}));

// Use in component
function Counter() {
  const { count, increment, decrement } = useStore();
  
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Count: {count}</h1>
      <button onClick={increment}>Increment</button>
      <button onClick={decrement}>Decrement</button>
    </div>
  );
}

UI Component Libraries

Chakra UI

Chakra UI is a simple, modular, and accessible component library that gives you the building blocks to create elegant interfaces with speed.

jsx
// Install with: npm install @chakra-ui/react @emotion/react @emotion/styled framer-motion

// _app.js
import { ChakraProvider } from '@chakra-ui/react';

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <ChakraProvider>
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </ChakraProvider>
  );
}

// Component.js
import { Box, Button, Heading, Text, Stack } from '@chakra-ui/react';

function Welcome() {
  return (
    <Box p={5} shadow="md" borderWidth="1px" borderRadius="md">
      <Heading mb={4}>Welcome to Next.js</Heading>
      <Text mb={3}>
        This is a sample component built with Chakra UI in a Next.js application.
      </Text>
      <Stack direction="row" spacing={4}>
        <Button colorScheme="teal">Get Started</Button>
        <Button variant="outline">Learn More</Button>
      </Stack>
    </Box>
  );
}

Material UI (MUI)

Material UI implements Google's Material Design and is one of the most popular UI libraries for React applications.

jsx
// Install with: npm install @mui/material @emotion/react @emotion/styled

// _app.js
import { ThemeProvider, createTheme } from '@mui/material/styles';
import CssBaseline from '@mui/material/CssBaseline';

const theme = createTheme({
  // Customize your theme here
});

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <ThemeProvider theme={theme}>
      <CssBaseline />
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </ThemeProvider>
  );
}

// Component.js
import { Card, CardContent, Typography, Button } from '@mui/material';

function ProductCard() {
  return (
    <Card sx={{ maxWidth: 345 }}>
      <CardContent>
        <Typography gutterBottom variant="h5" component="div">
          Product Name
        </Typography>
        <Typography variant="body2" color="text.secondary">
          This is a description of the product. It provides details and features.
        </Typography>
        <Button variant="contained" sx={{ mt: 2 }}>
          Add to Cart
        </Button>
      </CardContent>
    </Card>
  );
}

Tailwind CSS

While not a component library, Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that integrates perfectly with Next.js, allowing you to build custom designs quickly.

jsx
// Install with: npm install tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
// Then run: npx tailwindcss init -p

// tailwind.config.js
/** @type {import('tailwindcss').Config} */
module.exports = {
  content: [
    './pages/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}',
    './components/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}',
  ],
  theme: {
    extend: {},
  },
  plugins: [],
}

// globals.css
@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

// Component usage
function Card() {
  return (
    <div className="p-6 max-w-sm mx-auto bg-white rounded-xl shadow-md flex items-center space-x-4">
      <div>
        <div className="text-xl font-medium text-black">Tailwind Card</div>
        <p className="text-gray-500">A card built with Tailwind CSS</p>
        <button className="mt-3 px-4 py-2 bg-blue-500 text-white rounded-md hover:bg-blue-600">
          Click me
        </button>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Forms and Validation

React Hook Form

React Hook Form is a lightweight library for managing forms with easy validation and minimal re-renders.

jsx
// Install with: npm install react-hook-form

import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form';

function SignupForm() {
  const { 
    register, 
    handleSubmit, 
    formState: { errors } 
  } = useForm();

  const onSubmit = (data) => {
    console.log(data);
    // Submit data to API
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      <div>
        <label>Email</label>
        <input 
          {...register("email", { 
            required: "Email is required", 
            pattern: {
              value: /^\S+@\S+$/i,
              message: "Invalid email format"
            }
          })} 
        />
        {errors.email && <p>{errors.email.message}</p>}
      </div>

      <div>
        <label>Password</label>
        <input 
          type="password" 
          {...register("password", { 
            required: "Password is required",
            minLength: {
              value: 8,
              message: "Password must be at least 8 characters"
            }
          })} 
        />
        {errors.password && <p>{errors.password.message}</p>}
      </div>

      <button type="submit">Sign Up</button>
    </form>
  );
}

Formik with Yup

Formik is a comprehensive form library that works great with Yup for schema validation.

jsx
// Install with: npm install formik yup

import { Formik, Form, Field, ErrorMessage } from 'formik';
import * as Yup from 'yup';

const SignupSchema = Yup.object().shape({
  firstName: Yup.string()
    .min(2, 'Too Short!')
    .max(50, 'Too Long!')
    .required('Required'),
  lastName: Yup.string()
    .min(2, 'Too Short!')
    .max(50, 'Too Long!')
    .required('Required'),
  email: Yup.string()
    .email('Invalid email')
    .required('Required'),
});

function SignupForm() {
  return (
    <Formik
      initialValues={{
        firstName: '',
        lastName: '',
        email: '',
      }}
      validationSchema={SignupSchema}
      onSubmit={(values) => {
        console.log(values);
        // Submit data to API
      }}
    >
      {({ isSubmitting }) => (
        <Form>
          <div>
            <label htmlFor="firstName">First Name</label>
            <Field name="firstName" />
            <ErrorMessage name="firstName" component="div" />
          </div>

          <div>
            <label htmlFor="lastName">Last Name</label>
            <Field name="lastName" />
            <ErrorMessage name="lastName" component="div" />
          </div>

          <div>
            <label htmlFor="email">Email</label>
            <Field name="email" type="email" />
            <ErrorMessage name="email" component="div" />
          </div>

          <button type="submit" disabled={isSubmitting}>
            Submit
          </button>
        </Form>
      )}
    </Formik>
  );
}

Authentication Libraries

NextAuth.js

NextAuth.js is a complete authentication solution for Next.js applications that supports many providers.

jsx
// Install with: npm install next-auth

// pages/api/auth/[...nextauth].js
import NextAuth from 'next-auth';
import GithubProvider from 'next-auth/providers/github';
import GoogleProvider from 'next-auth/providers/google';

export default NextAuth({
  providers: [
    GithubProvider({
      clientId: process.env.GITHUB_ID,
      clientSecret: process.env.GITHUB_SECRET,
    }),
    GoogleProvider({
      clientId: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID,
      clientSecret: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET,
    }),
  ],
  // Optional additional configuration
  secret: process.env.NEXTAUTH_SECRET,
  pages: {
    signIn: '/auth/signin',
    signOut: '/auth/signout',
    error: '/auth/error',
  },
  callbacks: {
    async session({ session, token }) {
      // Add custom session properties
      return session;
    },
  },
});

// _app.js
import { SessionProvider } from 'next-auth/react';

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps: { session, ...pageProps } }) {
  return (
    <SessionProvider session={session}>
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </SessionProvider>
  );
}

// Component usage
import { signIn, signOut, useSession } from 'next-auth/react';

function AuthenticationExample() {
  const { data: session, status } = useSession();
  
  if (status === "loading") {
    return <p>Loading...</p>;
  }
  
  if (session) {
    return (
      <div>
        <p>Welcome, {session.user.name || session.user.email}</p>
        <button onClick={() => signOut()}>Sign out</button>
      </div>
    );
  } else {
    return (
      <div>
        <p>You are not signed in</p>
        <button onClick={() => signIn()}>Sign in</button>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

Real-World Application Example

Let's build a simplified blog application that combines several libraries we've discussed:

jsx
// pages/_app.js
import { ChakraProvider } from '@chakra-ui/react';
import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
import { SessionProvider } from 'next-auth/react';

const queryClient = new QueryClient();

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps: { session, ...pageProps } }) {
  return (
    <SessionProvider session={session}>
      <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
        <ChakraProvider>
          <Component {...pageProps} />
        </ChakraProvider>
      </QueryClientProvider>
    </SessionProvider>
  );
}

export default MyApp;

// components/BlogPost.js
import { Box, Heading, Text } from '@chakra-ui/react';

export default function BlogPost({ title, excerpt, author, date }) {
  return (
    <Box p={5} shadow="md" borderWidth="1px" mb={4}>
      <Heading size="md">{title}</Heading>
      <Text mt={2}>{excerpt}</Text>
      <Text fontSize="sm" mt={2} color="gray.500">
        By {author} • {new Date(date).toLocaleDateString()}
      </Text>
    </Box>
  );
}

// pages/blog.js
import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
import { useSession } from 'next-auth/react';
import { 
  Container, VStack, Heading, Button, 
  useDisclosure, Modal, ModalOverlay, 
  ModalContent, ModalHeader, ModalBody,
  ModalCloseButton
} from '@chakra-ui/react';
import BlogPost from '../components/BlogPost';
import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form';

// Fetch blog posts
const fetchPosts = async () => {
  const res = await fetch('/api/posts');
  if (!res.ok) {
    throw new Error('Failed to fetch posts');
  }
  return res.json();
};

export default function Blog() {
  const { data: session } = useSession();
  const { isOpen, onOpen, onClose } = useDisclosure();
  const { 
    register, 
    handleSubmit, 
    reset,
    formState: { isSubmitting, errors }
  } = useForm();

  // Fetch posts using React Query
  const { data: posts, isLoading, error, refetch } = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['posts'],
    queryFn: fetchPosts
  });

  const onSubmit = async (data) => {
    try {
      const res = await fetch('/api/posts', {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
        body: JSON.stringify(data)
      });
      
      if (res.ok) {
        reset();
        onClose();
        refetch(); // Refresh the posts list
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error creating post:', error);
    }
  };

  if (isLoading) return <Container centerContent>Loading posts...</Container>;
  if (error) return <Container centerContent>Error loading posts!</Container>;

  return (
    <Container maxW="container.md" py={8}>
      <Heading mb={6}>Blog Posts</Heading>
      
      {session && (
        <Button colorScheme="blue" mb={6} onClick={onOpen}>
          Create New Post
        </Button>
      )}
      
      <VStack spacing={4} align="stretch">
        {posts?.map(post => (
          <BlogPost 
            key={post.id}
            title={post.title}
            excerpt={post.excerpt}
            author={post.author}
            date={post.createdAt}
          />
        ))}
      </VStack>
      
      {/* Create Post Form Modal */}
      <Modal isOpen={isOpen} onClose={onClose}>
        <ModalOverlay />
        <ModalContent>
          <ModalHeader>Create New Blog Post</ModalHeader>
          <ModalCloseButton />
          <ModalBody pb={6}>
            <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
              <div>
                <label>Title</label>
                <input {...register("title", { required: "Title is required" })} />
                {errors.title && <p>{errors.title.message}</p>}
              </div>
              
              <div>
                <label>Content</label>
                <textarea 
                  {...register("content", { required: "Content is required" })} 
                  rows={5}
                />
                {errors.content && <p>{errors.content.message}</p>}
              </div>
              
              <Button mt={4} colorScheme="blue" type="submit" isLoading={isSubmitting}>
                Post
              </Button>
            </form>
          </ModalBody>
        </ModalContent>
      </Modal>
    </Container>
  );
}

Summary

We've explored several essential libraries in the Next.js ecosystem that can significantly enhance your development experience:

State Management:
- React Query for server state
- Redux Toolkit or Zustand for client state
UI Libraries:
- Chakra UI for accessible components
- Material UI for Material Design
- Tailwind CSS for utility-first styling
Forms and Validation:
- React Hook Form for performant forms
- Formik with Yup for comprehensive validation
Authentication:
- NextAuth.js for complete auth solutions

These libraries work seamlessly with Next.js, allowing you to build robust, performant applications without reinventing the wheel. By leveraging these tools, you can focus more on your application's unique features rather than implementing common functionality from scratch.

Additional Resources

Exercises

Create a simple to-do application using Next.js with Zustand for state management and Chakra UI for the interface.
Build a login/registration system using NextAuth.js and React Hook Form.
Create a dashboard that fetches and displays data using React Query, with loading states and error handling.
Implement a multi-step form with validation using either React Hook Form or Formik.
Build a theme switcher (light/dark mode) using your preferred UI library with persistent settings stored in local storage.

By exploring these libraries and completing the exercises, you'll gain practical experience with the Next.js ecosystem and be better prepared to build full-featured applications.

If you spot any mistakes on this website, please let me know at [email protected]. I’d greatly appreciate your feedback! :)

Introduction​

State Management Libraries​

React Query​

Key Features:​

Basic Example:​

Redux Toolkit​

Basic Setup:​

Zustand​

UI Component Libraries​

Chakra UI​

Material UI (MUI)​

Tailwind CSS​

Forms and Validation​

React Hook Form​

Formik with Yup​

Authentication Libraries​

NextAuth.js​

Real-World Application Example​

Summary​

Additional Resources​

Exercises​