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Best Practices for Mastering Next.js Redirects

Pandiyan MuruganLeave a comment

This blog post dives into the recommended practices for implementing redirects within your Next.js applications, illustrated with code samples for better understanding.

Choosing Your Weapon

Next.js offers three primary methods for redirection:

  • redirect function
  • useRouter hook
  • next.config.js

Matching the Tool to the Task:

  • Server-side Redirects (e.g., from getStaticProps):

export async function getStaticProps() {
  // Perform data fetching (optional)
  return {
    props: {},
    redirect: {
      destination: '/about', // Redirect to the about page
      permanent: false, // Set to true for permanent redirect (optional)
    },
  };
}
  • Client-side Redirects (e.g., button click):
import { useRouter } from 'next/router';

function MyComponent() {
  const router = useRouter();

  const handleClick = () => {
    router.push('/contact'); // Redirect to the contact page on button click
  };

  return (
    <button onClick={handleClick}>Contact Us</button>
  );
}
  • Multiple Redirects in next.config.js:
// next.config.js
module.exports = {
  redirects: async () => [
    {
      source: '/old-page',
      destination: '/new-page',
      permanent: true, // Permanent redirect for old page
    },
    {
      source: '/another-old-page',
      destination: '/about',
      permanent: false, // Temporary redirect for another old page
    },
  ],
};

Pro Tips:

  • Absolute Paths: Always use absolute URLs within the redirect function:

redirect('/about'); // Correct usage
// Not allowed: redirect('./about');
  • Custom Middleware (advanced):

Create a middleware file (e.g., middleware.js) to handle complex redirection logic.

// middleware.js
export function middleware(req) {
  // Implement your custom logic here
  // Example: Check for a specific cookie and redirect if needed
  if (!req.cookies.loggedIn) {
    return { redirect: { destination: '/login' } };
  }
  return NextResponse.next();
}

// In `pages/_app.js`
import { middleware } from './middleware';

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

export default MyApp;

export async function getServerSideProps(context) {
  const middlewareResponse = await middleware(context);
  if (middlewareResponse) {
    return middlewareResponse;
  }

  // Fetch data or perform other actions
  return { props: {} };
}

Additional Considerations:

By following these best practices and utilizing the code samples provided, you can effectively implement redirects in your Next.js applications, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Copy to Clipboard in Next.js: Embrace the Clipboard API

Pandiyan MuruganLeave a comment

Adding a “copy to clipboard” functionality to your Next.js application streamlines user experience by allowing them to easily copy text snippets. While third-party plugins offer solutions, we can achieve this using the browser’s built-in Clipboard API, providing a lightweight, secure, and well-supported approach.

Understanding the Clipboard API

The Clipboard API offers a standardized way for web applications to interact with the system clipboard. This allows you to programmatically copy and paste text or other data to and from the clipboard. Here’s a breakdown of its key aspects:

  • Security: Unlike older methods like document.execCommand('copy'), the Clipboard API prioritizes security. It restricts access to clipboard data only in secure contexts, meaning your web app needs to be served over HTTPS to utilize it.
  • Asynchronous Nature: The Clipboard API methods (writeText and potentially future methods for reading) are asynchronous. This means they return a Promise object, allowing your code to handle successful completion or potential errors.
  • Browser Support: The Clipboard API enjoys good support in modern browsers. However, it’s always a good practice to check for browser compatibility before relying solely on this API. You can find resources online to determine compatibility across different browsers.

Implementing Copy to Clipboard Functionality

  1. Import necessary hooks: import { useState } from "react";
  2. Define the text to be copied: const textToCopy = "This is the text you can copy.";
  3. Create a state variable for “copied” status: const [isCopied, setIsCopied] = useState(false);
  4. Implement the copyToClipboard function: 
const copyToClipboard = async () => {
  try {
    await navigator.clipboard.writeText(textToCopy);
    setIsCopied(true);
    setTimeout(() => setIsCopied(false), 2000); // Reset copied state after 2 seconds
  } catch (err) {
    console.error("Failed to copy to clipboard:", err);
  }
};

Explanation of copyToClipboard

  • async: This keyword signifies the asynchronous nature of the function.
  • navigator.clipboard.writeText(textToCopy): This line utilizes the writeText method of the navigator.clipboard object. It attempts to write the provided text (textToCopy) to the system clipboard.
  • Promise Handling: Since writeText is asynchronous, we use try...catch to handle successful completion (updating isCopied state) or potential errors (logged to the console).
  • setTimeout: This function provides a temporary visual cue to the user by setting isCopied to true for a brief period (2 seconds in this example).
  • Render the component: 
return (
  <div>
    <p>{textToCopy}</p>
    <button onClick={copyToClipboard}>
      {isCopied ? "Copied!" : "Copy to Clipboard"}
    </button>
  </div>
);

Additional Considerations

  • Reusable Hook: Consider creating a reusable hook to encapsulate the copy logic for better code organization and maintainability.
  • Error Handling and Fallbacks: Explore error handling strategies and potentially implement fallback mechanisms (e.g., displaying a message) for browsers that don’t support the Clipboard API.

By leveraging the Clipboard API, you gain a secure and efficient way to add “copy to clipboard” functionality to your Next.js applications, enhancing user experience without external dependencies.

Code Snippet link

https://stackblitz.com/~/github.com/PandiyanCool/nextjs-clipboard?view=editor

Live Demo

Happy Coding!