Introduction

APIs is an essential part of building modern applications. The popular React framework Next.js provides a feature-rich environment for API development. In this article, we'll explore three important aspects of API development in Next.js: API Routes, Middle Paths, and Response Helpers. We'll provide code examples and practical implementations to help you use the full power of Next.js to build APIs.

1. Next.js API Routes

Next.js simplifies API development with an easy way to create API endpoints. The API route, a file located in the "pages/api" directory, defines the server-side logic for executing requests. These endpoints are accessible via HTTP requests and can be used to retrieve or manipulate data.

Implementaion:

Create a simple API route that returns a list of products.

// pages/api/products.js

export default (req, res) => {
  const product = [
    {id: 1, name: '1 my'},
    {id: 2, name: '2 my'},
  ];

  res.status(200).json(product);
};

In this example, we define an API path that responds to GET requests with a list of products.

2. API Middlewares

API Middlewares in Next.js allow you to add custom logic to your API routes. Middlewares are functions that run before or after the main router to perform tasks such as authentication, authentication, or data manipulation.

Implementation:

Let's implement the middleware that registers the request method and URL before executing the request.

// pages/api/middleware.js

export default (req, res, next) => {
  console.log(`[${req.method}]${req.url}`);
  Next();
};

// pages/api/products.js

import middleware from './middleware';

export default (req, res) => {
  // Use middleware before executing the request
  middleware (req, res, () => {
    const product = [
      {id: 1, name: '1 my'},
      {id: 2, name: '2 my'},
    ];

    res.status(200).json(product);
  });
};

In this example, we create the middleware in a separate file and import it into the API direction. The middleware registers the request method with the URL before it is included in the main routing logic.

3. Response Helpers

The response helper in Next.js makes it easy to send responses using standard status codes and information. This helper makes it easy to handle common scenarios like sending success or error responses.

Implemenatation:

Let's use the response helper to send a standard error message if the resource is not found.

// pages/api/products/[id].js

from 'next' { import import notFound;

export default (req, res) => {
  const {id} = req.query;
  const product = findProductById(id);

  if (!product) {
    return Found(req, res, 'Property not found');
  }

  res.status(200).json(product);
};

In this example, we use the "notFound" response handler to send a 404 response with a standard error message if the product with the specified ID is not found.

Conclusion

Next.js' API Paths, Middle Paths, and Response Helpers provide a strong foundation for building APIs in your web applications. Whether you need to create RESTful endpoints, add middleware logic, or send standard responses, the Next.js API provides a developer-friendly environment to speed up your development process. By adding this feature to your project, you can ensure efficient and reliable API functionality.