Nextjs Creating And Reusing Components Complete Guide

Last Update:2025-06-22T00:00:00 .NET School AI Teacher - SELECT ANY TEXT TO EXPLANATION. 9 mins read Difficulty-Level: beginner

Understanding the Core Concepts of Nextjs Creating and Reusing Components

Next.js: Creating and Reusing Components (Under 700 Words)

1. Understanding Components in Next.js

Components in Next.js, much like React, are reusable pieces of the user interface. They can be as small as a button or as complex as a complete layout. Components help in breaking down the application into manageable and independent pieces, facilitating easier maintenance and development.

Stateless vs Stateful Components: Stateless components (functional components) are used for static UI elements while stateful components (class-based components) are required for dynamic UI that holds data.
CSS Modules: CSS Modules are a scoped CSS solution that Next.js supports out-of-the-box. They allow you to write CSS without fearing name collisions. This enables scoped styling for components.

2. Creating Components

Let's start by creating a simple Button component which could be used throughout our application.

// components/Button.js

import styles from './Button.module.css';

export default function Button({ children }) {
  return <button className={styles.btn}>{children}</button>;
}

File Structure: Organize your components in a dedicated components folder. This makes it easier to locate and manage them.
Props: Pass data to components using props. This makes components flexible and generic. For e.g., the children prop allows the text inside the button to be dynamic.

3. Reusing Components

After creating a component, the next step is to reuse it across different parts of the application.

// pages/index.js

import Head from 'next/head';
import Button from '../components/Button';

export default function Home() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Head>
        <title>Next.js App</title>
      </Head>
      <main>
        <h1>Welcome to the Next.js App</h1>
        <Button>Click Me</Button>
      </main>
    </div>
  );
}

Importing Components: Use ES6 import/export syntax to incorporate components into different pages or other components.
Consistency: Ensure that common elements like buttons, navigation bars, or footers are encapsulated into components, promoting consistency across the application.

4. Advanced Component Concepts

4.1 Composition vs Inheritance

Next.js follows the principle of composition over inheritance. This means building components by combining simpler, smaller components rather than extending functionality through inheritance.

// components/Panel.js

import React from 'react';
import styles from './Panel.module.css';

export default function Panel({ children }) {
  return <div className={styles.panel}>{children}</div>;
}

// Usage
<Panel>
  <p>This is a panel that wraps content</p>
</Panel>

Flexibility: Composition allows components to be more flexible, easier to test and maintain.
Code Reusability: It promotes modular design, enabling code reuse.

4.2 Higher Order Components (HOCs) and Custom Hooks

HOCs and custom hooks are advanced patterns for reusing component logic.

Higher Order Components: HOCs are functions that take a component and return a new component with added functionality. They are useful for authentication checks, data fetching, or layout templates.

// Higher Order Component Example

import React from 'react';

function withAuth(Component) {
  return function AuthComponent(props) {
    const user = props.user;
    if (!user) {
      // Redirect to login page
    }
    return <Component {...props} />;
  };
}

export default withAuth;

Custom Hooks: Custom hooks allow you to encapsulate and reuse component-specific logic that requires state or side effects, like data fetching.

// Custom Hook Example

import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function useFetch(url) {
  const [data, setData] = useState(null);
  useEffect(() => {
    fetch(url)
      .then(response => response.json())
      .then(data => setData(data));
  }, [url]);

  return data;
}

export default useFetch;

5. Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Generation

Next.js supports server-side rendering and static generation for components, improving performance and SEO.

SSR: On each request, the component is rendered server-side and the HTML is sent to the client.
Static Generation: Once at build time, the component is rendered into static HTML, which can be used for subsequent requests.

// Static Generation Example

export async function getStaticProps() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
  const data = await res.json();

  return {
    props: { data }, // will be passed to the component as props
  };
}

export default function StaticPage({ data }) {
  return <pre>{JSON.stringify(data)}</pre>;
}

6. Important Tips

Naming Conventions: Follow consistent naming conventions for components, e.g., PascalCase for React components, kebab-case for file names.
Documentation: Document components and their props, especially when they are expected to be reused across the project.
Performance Optimization: Avoid unnecessary re-renders by memoizing components and using the built-in React.memo.

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Step-by-Step Guide: How to Implement Nextjs Creating and Reusing Components

Step 1: Set Up Your Next.js Project

First, if you haven't already set up a Next.js project, you can do so by running the following commands in your terminal:

npx create-next-app@latest nextjs-component-example
cd nextjs-component-example
npm run dev  # or yarn dev

This will create a new Next.js project named nextjs-component-example and start the development server on http://localhost:3000.

Step 2: Create Your First Component

Let's start by creating a simple component. For this example, we'll create a Header component.

Create a new file inside the components directory (if it doesn't exist):

mkdir components
touch components/Header.js

Add the following code to Header.js:

// components/Header.js
import React from 'react';

export const Header = ({ title }) => {
  return (
    <header style={{ backgroundColor: '#333', color: '#fff', padding: '1rem', textAlign: 'center' }}>
      <h1>{title}</h1>
    </header>
  );
};

export default Header;

In this example:

We define a functional component named Header.
It accepts a prop called title which is used to display the component's content.
Basic inline styling has been applied for better visibility.

Step 3: Use the Header Component in a Page

Next, let's use the Header component in one of our Next.js pages. Open the pages/index.js file and modify it as follows:

// pages/index.js
import React from 'react';
import { Header } from '../components/Header';

const Home = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header title="Welcome to My Next.js App" />
      <main style={{ padding: '2rem', textAlign: 'center' }}>
        <p>This is the home page of my application.</p>
      </main>
    </div>
  );
};

export default Home;

Here, we import our Header component and use it within the Home component, passing a title prop.

Step 4: Create Another Component and Use It in Multiple Pages

Now, we'll create another component and use it across multiple pages to show reusability.

Create a new Footer component:

touch components/Footer.js

Add the following code to Footer.js:

// components/Footer.js
import React from 'react';

export const Footer = ({ message }) => {
  return (
    <footer style={{ backgroundColor: '#333', color: '#fff', padding: '1rem', textAlign: 'center' }}>
      <p>{message}</p>
    </footer>
  );
};

export default Footer;

Now, let's use the Footer component in both pages/index.js and pages/about.js:

Modify pages/index.js:

// pages/index.js
import React from 'react';
import { Header } from '../components/Header';
import { Footer } from '../components/Footer';

const Home = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header title="Welcome to My Next.js App" />
      <main style={{ padding: '2rem', textAlign: 'center' }}>
        <p>This is the home page of my application.</p>
      </main>
      <Footer message="Created by Next.js Beginner" />
    </div>
  );
};

export default Home;

And add a new about page:

touch pages/about.js

Then, add the following code to about.js:

// pages/about.js
import React from 'react';
import { Header } from '../components/Header';
import { Footer } from '../components/Footer';

const About = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header title="About Us" />
      <main style={{ padding: '2rem', textAlign: 'center' }}>
        <p>Learn more about our awesome team!</p>
      </main>
      <Footer message="Thank you for visiting our app!" />
    </div>
  );
};

export default About;

Step 5: Create a Layout Component for Better Reusability

If many pages share the same structure, you can create a layout component which includes the Header and Footer:

Create a new file Layout.js inside the components directory:

touch components/Layout.js

Add the following code to Layout.js:

// components/Layout.js
import React from 'react';
import { Header } from './Header';
import { Footer } from './Footer';

export const Layout = ({ children }) => {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header title="My Next.js App" />
      <main style={{ padding: '2rem', textAlign: 'center' }}>
        {children}
      </main>
      <Footer message="All rights reserved © 2023" />
    </div>
  );
};

export default Layout;

Then, modify pages/index.js and pages/about.js to use Layout:

pages/index.js:

// pages/index.js
import React from 'react';
import { Layout } from '../components/Layout';

const Home = () => {
  return (
    <Layout>
      <p>This is the home page of my application.</p>
    </Layout>
  );
};

export default Home;

pages/about.js:

// pages/about.js
import React from 'react';
import { Layout } from '../components/Layout';

const About = () => {
  return (
    <Layout>
      <p>Learn more about our awesome team!</p>
    </Layout>
  );
};

export default About;

Step 6: Prop Customization in a Layout Component

Sometimes you want to customize the title of the header in each page. We can modify Layout.js to accept title as a prop:

// components/Layout.js
import React from 'react';
import { Header } from './Header';
import { Footer } from './Footer';

export const Layout = ({ children, title }) => {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header title={title} />
      <main style={{ padding: '2rem', textAlign: 'center' }}>
        {children}
      </main>
      <Footer message="All rights reserved © 2023" />
    </div>
  );
};

export default Layout;

Now, you can pass the title from each page:

pages/index.js:

// pages/index.js
import React from 'react';
import { Layout } from '../components/Layout';

const Home = () => {
  return (
    <Layout title="Welcome to My Next.js App">
      <p>This is the home page of my application.</p>
    </Layout>
  );
};

export default Home;

pages/about.js:

Top 10 Interview Questions & Answers on Nextjs Creating and Reusing Components

1. What is a component in Next.js?

Answer: In Next.js, a component is a reusable piece of UI code. It can be as simple as a button or as complex as a page. Components help in organizing UIs into manageable and isolated pieces, making development more efficient and structured.

2. How do you create a new component in Next.js?

Answer: To create a new component, you simply create a new JavaScript or TypeScript file in the components directory (or any directory you prefer). A basic component can be created like this:

// components/MyComponent.js
function MyComponent() {
  return <div>Hello, world!</div>;
}
export default MyComponent;

You can then import and use this component in other parts of your application.

3. How do you pass props to a component in Next.js?

Answer: Props can be passed to a component just like attributes. Inside the component, you access them via the props object:

// components/Greeting.js
function Greeting(props) {
  return <h1>Hello, {props.name}!</h1>;
}
export default Greeting;

// pages/index.js
import Greeting from '../components/Greeting';
function HomePage() {
  return <Greeting name="Alice" />;
}
export default HomePage;

4. Can you explain how to reuse components in Next.js?

Answer: Components are inherently reusable in Next.js. You create a component once and can use it in multiple places. Reusability is enhanced through proper organization in the components directory and clear naming conventions. For example:

// components/Button.js
function Button({ onClick, children }) {
  return <button onClick={onClick}>{children}</button>;
}
export default Button;

// pages/pageOne.js and pages/pageTwo.js
import Button from '../components/Button';
function PageOne() {
  return <Button onClick={() => console.log('Clicked on Page One')}>Click Me</Button>;
}
export default PageOne;

function PageTwo() {
  return <Button onClick={() => console.log('Clicked on Page Two')}>Click Me</Button>;
}
export default PageTwo;

5. How can you ensure components are only re-rendered when necessary?

Answer: Use React.memo for functional components to avoid unnecessary re-renders. It memoizes the component so that it only re-renders when its props change:

// components/ExpensiveComponent.js
const ExpensiveComponent = React.memo(function ExpensiveComponent({ prop1, prop2 }) {
  // Expensive operations here
  return <div>{prop1} {prop2}</div>;
});

6. What is the best practice for styling components in Next.js?

Answer: Next.js supports CSS, SASS, and CSS Modules. For component-level styling, CSS Modules are a good choice as they prevent global scope conflicts by auto-prefixing CSS class names:

// components/Button.module.css
.button {
  background-color: blue;
  color: white;
  padding: 5px 10px;
}

// components/Button.js
import styles from './Button.module.css';
function Button({ onClick, children }) {
  return <button onClick={onClick} className={styles.button}>{children}</button>;
}
export default Button;

7. How do you handle state management within components?

Answer: For local state, use React's useState or useReducer hooks. For global state across multiple components, consider solutions like Context API, Recoil, Redux, or Zustand:

// components/Toggle.js
import { useState } from 'react';
function Toggle() {
  const [isOn, setIsOn] = useState(false);
  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={() => setIsOn(!isOn)}>
        {isOn ? 'ON' : 'OFF'}
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}
export default Toggle;

8. What are the benefits of using Higher Order Components (HOCs) in Next.js?

Answer: HOCs are functions that take a component and return a new component. They can enhance component functionality, such as adding props or modifying behavior. HOCs are particularly useful when common logic needs to be shared between components:

//hoc/withUser.js
function withUser(WrappedComponent) {
  return function(props) {
    const user = getUser(props.userId); // some function to fetch user
    return <WrappedComponent {...props} user={user} />;
  }
}

// components/UserProfile.js
function UserProfile({ user }) {
  return <div>{user.name}</div>;
}
export default withUser(UserProfile);

9. How do you compose components in Next.js?

Answer: Composing components involves combining multiple components into a larger, more complex structure. This promotes reusability and separation of concerns:

// components/ProfileCard.js
import UserProfile from './UserProfile';
import UserStats from './UserStats';
function ProfileCard({ userId }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <UserProfile userId={userId} />
      <UserStats userId={userId} />
    </div>
  );
}
export default ProfileCard;

10. What is the recommended approach for context in Next.js components?

Answer: Context is useful for sharing data between deeply nested components without having to manually pass props at every level. To create and use context: