Building Robust Applications with Formidable Nextjs

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Building robust applications with Formidable Next.js is a game-changer for developers. By leveraging its powerful features, you can create fast, scalable, and maintainable applications that meet the demands of modern web development.

One of the key benefits of using Formidable Next.js is its ability to optimize images automatically, resulting in a significant reduction in page load times. This feature is especially useful for applications with a large number of images.

With Formidable Next.js, you can also take advantage of its built-in support for internationalization (i18n) and localization (L10n), making it easier to reach a global audience. This feature allows you to easily switch between languages and regions, ensuring that your application is accessible to users worldwide.

By using Formidable Next.js, you can build applications that are not only fast and scalable but also highly customizable and maintainable. This is achieved through its modular architecture, which makes it easy to add or remove features as needed.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Next Js Feature Flags

Error Handling

Credit: youtube.com, Error Handling in Server Actions Next.js (Incl. Toasts!)

Error handling is crucial when working with file uploads in Next.js. We use the formidable package to parse form data and save uploaded files to the server storage.

To handle errors, we create a new file called parse-form.ts, which will be responsible for parsing form data and saving the uploaded file. This file will serve as a middleware, but we'll give it only the request, not the API response.

We install the formidable package and its types using npm commands. The try-catch statement is used to handle exceptions that may occur during file parsing. If an exception is related to the FormidableError, we respond with a 400 Bad Request status.

We also use a conversation for filenames to ensure they're unique. The filename is generated by combining the current timestamp, a random number, the original filename (or "unknown" if it's empty), and the file extension. The original_filename is used to preserve the original file name, but if it's undefined or empty, we replace it with "unknown".

For your interest: Nextjs Json Parse

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We store the upload directory's absolute path in a constant called root_dir. If the ROOT_DIR environment variable is set, we use it; otherwise, we use the project root as the default root_dir. We then join the root_dir with the relative upload dir to get the full path.

To check if the directory already exists, we use the node.js stat function. If an exception occurs, we check the error code. If the directory was not found, we create it; otherwise, we pass the error to the reject and return a 500 Internal Server Error response.

A fresh viewpoint: Error Boundary Nextjs

Request Body

Parse and validate the request body with formidable. It's a powerful tool for handling form-data, including multipart/form-data.

Formidable can parse both fields and files, allowing you to send file metadata from the client like caption, filename, and so on. This is especially useful when you need to access file information.

To use formidable, you create a formidable form and pass the proper configuration. You can check the formidable docs to view all the available options.

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The filename function is overridden to ensure generated filenames are unique and avoid file replacements. This is achieved by combining a timestamp with a random number.

To filter uploaded files, the filter function is implemented to allow only files with the key "media" and files of type image. This ensures only relevant files are processed.

The formidable form's parse method is called with the request and a callback function. This callback function is executed after the form is parsed, allowing you to handle any errors or processed data.

If there are errors, they are checked and handled accordingly. Otherwise, the promise is resolved, passing along the parsed fields and files.

Check this out: Nextjs Form

File Management

File Management is a crucial aspect of any web application, and Formidable Next.js makes it a breeze. You can send back the uploaded file path as a response to the client-side.

To get started, you'll need to add code to your API handler to send the file path back to the client. This involves getting the uploaded file information from the files object and adding it to the data.url property.

Credit: youtube.com, Next-Level S3 File Management: The Ultimate Guide to Handling Files in Next.js 14

The main page will contain the upload form and the list of uploaded files. To display the list of uploaded files, you'll need to create a function fetchFiles that sends a GET request to the API route to get the list of files from the database.

To make this work, you'll need to create an API route in the pages/api/files folder. This file will return the list of files from the database, and for simplicity, you can just get the 10 latest files from the database.

To download files, you'll need to create a function downloadFile inside of the FileItem component. The function sends a GET request to the API route to get the presigned URL for the file from S3.

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Routing

Routing in Next.js is a powerful feature that allows you to define multiple pages and routes for your application. This is achieved through the use of the getStaticProps method.

With Next.js, you can use dynamic routing to create pages that are generated at build time. This is done by using a parameter in the route, such as [id]. The getStaticPaths method is used to specify the possible values for the parameter.

Next.js also supports client-side routing, which allows you to navigate between pages without a full page reload. This is achieved through the use of the Link component and the useNavigate hook.

Intriguing read: Nextjs Pages

Backend Routing

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Backend Routing is all about setting up routes for your application's API. You can create API routes to handle file uploads and downloads, such as Next.js API routes that can upload files to S3 and return the file name.

To upload files, you can use a POST request to the API route, which will then upload the file to S3 and return the file name. This process involves saving the file name in the database and can be done using libraries like formidable to parse the incoming request. You can also use the formidable library to handle file uploads in your API routes.

Here are some key steps to consider when creating API routes for file uploads:

  • Get files from the request using formidable
  • Read the file from the file path using fs.createReadStream
  • Generate a unique file name using the nanoid library
  • Save the file to S3 using the saveFileInBucket function
  • Save the file info to the database using Prisma file.create method

To download files, you can create an API route that handles file downloads. This involves getting the file name and original name from the database, getting the file from the S3 bucket, setting the header for downloading the file, and piping the file to the response object.

Consider reading: Next Js Folder Structure

Credit: youtube.com, Lesson 36 Backend Routes

You can also use presigned URLs to download files from the frontend. This involves sending a GET request to the API route to get the presigned URL for the file from S3, which is then returned to the user.

Here are some key differences between uploading and downloading files using API routes:

  • Upload: POST request, saves file to S3 and database, uses formidable to parse request
  • Download: GET request, gets file from S3 and database, sets header and pipes file to response object

Delete S3 Route

When creating API routes to interact with S3, it's essential to consider deletion routes. To delete a file from S3, you'll need to create a file in the pages/api/files/delete folder.

The file should be named delete/[id].ts. This file will handle the deletion of a file from both the S3 bucket and the database.

To delete a file from the database, you can use the Prisma file.delete method. This method will remove the file from the database.

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the process:

  • Get the file name in the bucket from the database using the file id.
  • Check if the file exists in the database.
  • Delete the file from the S3 bucket using the deleteFileFromBucket function.
  • Delete the file from the database using the Prisma file.delete method.
  • Return the status and message in the response to the client.

This process ensures that the file is properly removed from both the S3 bucket and the database.

State Management

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State management is crucial in Next.js, and it's categorized into two types: local and global state. Local state is data managed within a single component, typically initialized with the useState hook.

Next.js doesn't provide a built-in solution for global state, but it allows you to integrate with state management libraries like the Context API, Redux, or MobX. Managing global state is more complex because it involves syncing state across various parts of your application.

You can use React's state management features, such as the useState and useEffect hooks, to manage local state within a page in a Next.js app. Next.js handles state at the page level similarly to how you would manage state in a standard React app.

For more insights, see: Nextjs State Management

State Management Options

State Management Options in Next.js are flexible, allowing you to choose from a variety of solutions. Next.js doesn't dictate how to manage state, but rather provides the flexibility to choose from native options and third-party libraries.

For your interest: Next Js Using State Context

Credit: youtube.com, State Managers Are Making Your Code Worse In React

The native option provided by React is available for use in Next.js applications. This means you can use React's state management features, such as the useState and useEffect hooks, to manage local state within a page.

Next.js also allows you to integrate with third-party state management libraries. This includes popular libraries like Redux and MobX, which can help with managing global state across your application.

You can choose to use the Context API, a React feature, to manage global state in your Next.js app. The Context API is particularly useful for solving prop-drilling issues and exchanging unique details across your application.

Next.js provides no built-in solution for managing global state, instead allowing you to integrate with any state management library or pattern you prefer. This means you have a range of options to choose from, depending on your specific needs and preferences.

See what others are reading: Next Js and React

Retrieving Database List

To fetch the list of files from the database, we create a function called fetchFiles that sends a GET request to the API route to get the list of files from the database.

On a similar theme: Nextjs Database

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The API route is created in a file called index.ts in the pages/api/files folder, which returns the list of files from the database. For simplicity, we get the 10 latest files from the database without pagination.

The database query uses skip and take to limit the number of files returned. You can find more information about pagination in the Prisma docs.

To display the list of files, the main page will contain the upload form and the list of uploaded files.

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Frontend Development

You can upload files to the server using a POST request to the /api/files/upload/smallFiles route, which uploads the files to S3 and returns status and message in the response.

The fileInputRef is updated with the selected files when the user selects files to upload. The createFormData function and FormData API are used to create form data from the selected files.

To create a file upload form, you'll want to create a separate file for the logic, such as fileUploadHelpers.ts, and use it in the UI component, like UploadFilesRoute.

Frontend - Presigned URLs Download

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To download files, we will create a function downloadFile inside of the FileItem component. The function sends a GET request to the API route to get the presigned URL for the file from S3.

The file is returned to the user from the API route. This is a simplified version of the process, without validation, loading state, and error handling.

To download files using presigned URLs, you'll need to create a function that sends a GET request to the API route. This route will return the presigned URL for the file from S3.

Here's a step-by-step overview of the process:

  1. Sending a GET request to the API route to get the presigned URL for the file from S3.
  2. Receiving the presigned URL from the API route.
  3. Using the presigned URL to download the file.

This process is crucial for securely downloading files from S3. By using presigned URLs, you can ensure that only authorized users can access the files.

Adding Event Listeners

Adding event listeners is a crucial step in frontend development, especially when working with forms like our file uploader.

We want to handle file upload and prevent the default behavior of our form. This is where event listeners come in.

Credit: youtube.com, Learn JavaScript Event Listeners In 18 Minutes

To start, we'll implement the onFileUploadChange listener, which is what we want to do.

This listener will help us respond to changes in the file upload, ensuring a smooth user experience.

By adding event listeners, we can also prevent the default behavior of our form, which is a common issue when working with forms.

Event listeners are a powerful tool in frontend development, allowing us to respond to specific events and actions.

In our case, the onFileUploadChange listener will be key in handling file uploads and preventing default form behavior.

This is a great opportunity to practice our event listener implementation skills, which will benefit us in future frontend development projects.

With event listeners in place, we'll be able to handle file uploads with ease and provide a better user experience.

For another approach, see: Next Js Development Company

Performance Considerations

Performance Considerations are crucial when building a Next.js app. To avoid unnecessary re-renders, use memoization.

Memoize components that rely on global state using React.memo, useMemo, or useCallback to prevent unnecessary re-renders when the props or state haven't changed.

For your interest: Using State in Next Js

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Leverage selectors in libraries like Redux or Recoil to compute derived data from the state. This ensures that components only re-render when the data they rely on has actually changed.

Here's a quick rundown of how to implement these strategies:

By implementing these strategies, you can ensure that your Next.js app runs smoothly and efficiently.

Calvin Connelly

Senior Writer

Calvin Connelly is a seasoned writer with a passion for crafting engaging content on a wide range of topics. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Calvin has established himself as a versatile and reliable voice in the world of writing. In addition to his general writing expertise, Calvin has developed a particular interest in covering important and timely subjects that impact society.

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