Nhost Backend in React Next.js

Nhost Backend in React Next.js

In this tutorial, we will explore how to build a backend for a React Next.js application using Nhost. Nhost is a backend-as-a-service platform that provides developers with a complete backend infrastructure, including a PostgreSQL database, GraphQL API, and authentication system. With Nhost, developers can focus on building their frontend applications without worrying about the complexities of backend development.

In this tutorial, we will start by setting up a new Next.js application and integrating it with Nhost. We will then explore how to use Nhost's GraphQL API to perform CRUD operations on our PostgreSQL database. Finally, we will implement authentication using Nhost's built-in authentication system. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a fully functional Next.js application with a backend powered by Nhost.

What is Nhost?

Nhost Backend is a backend-as-a-service platform that provides developers with a complete backend infrastructure for their applications. It includes a PostgreSQL database, GraphQL API, and authentication system, allowing developers to focus on building their frontend applications without worrying about the complexities of backend development. With Nhost, developers can quickly and easily set up a backend for their applications, reducing development time and increasing productivity.

Nhost Backend is built on top of open-source technologies, making it highly customizable and flexible. It supports a wide range of programming languages and frameworks, including React, Next.js, and Flutter. Nhost also provides developers with a range of tools and features, such as real-time data synchronization, file storage, and serverless functions, making it a powerful and versatile platform for building modern web and mobile applications.

Why use Nhost for Backend in React Next.js application?

Nhost is an excellent choice for backend development because it provides developers with a complete backend infrastructure, including a PostgreSQL database, GraphQL API, and authentication system. This allows developers to focus on building their frontend applications without worrying about the complexities of backend development. Additionally, Nhost is built on top of open-source technologies, making it highly customizable and flexible.

Some of the benefits of using Nhost for backend development include:

• Reduced development time: With Nhost, developers can quickly and easily set up a backend for their applications, reducing development time and increasing productivity.

• Scalability: Nhost is designed to be highly scalable, allowing developers to easily handle large amounts of data and traffic.

• Security: Nhost provides developers with a range of security features, including encryption, access control, and authentication, ensuring that their applications are secure and protected from unauthorized access.

• Real-time data synchronization: Nhost supports real-time data synchronization, allowing developers to build applications that update in real-time.

• Serverless functions: Nhost supports serverless functions, allowing developers to run code without managing servers, reducing infrastructure costs and increasing scalability.

Overall, Nhost is an excellent choice for developers who want to focus on building their frontend applications without worrying about the complexities of backend development. With its complete backend infrastructure, scalability, security, and real-time data synchronization, Nhost is a powerful and versatile platform for building modern web and mobile applications.

Prerequisites

To complete the "Nhost Backend in React Next.js" tutorial, you will need the following prerequisites:

• Basic knowledge of React and Next.js: This tutorial assumes that you have a basic understanding of React and Next.js. If you are new to these technologies, it is recommended that you complete some introductory tutorials before starting this one.

• Node.js and npm: You will need Node.js and npm installed on your computer to run the Next.js application. You can download and install Node.js from the official website.

• Nhost account: You will need a Nhost account to use the Nhost backend. You can sign up for a free account on the Nhost website.

• PostgreSQL client: You will need a PostgreSQL client to interact with the PostgreSQL database. You can use any PostgreSQL client of your choice, such as pgAdmin or DBeaver.

• GraphQL client: You will need a GraphQL client to interact with the GraphQL API. You can use any GraphQL client of your choice, such as Apollo Client or Relay.

React Next.js Nhost step by step setup and configuration

To integrate Nhost into a React Next.js project, we first need to create a new Next.js application. We can do this by running the following command in the terminal:

npx create-next-app my-app

Next, we need to install the Nhost SDK and dependencies. We can do this by running the following command in the terminal:

npm install nhost-js-sdk react-apollo graphql apollo-boost

Once we have installed the dependencies, we can initialize the Nhost SDK in our application. We can do this by creating a new file called nhost.js in the root of our project and adding the following code:

import { createClient } from 'nhost-js-sdk';

const config = {
  base_url: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_NHOST_BASE_URL,
};

const nhostClient = createClient(config);

export default nhostClient;

This code initializes the Nhost SDK with the base URL of our Nhost backend. We can then use this client to interact with the Nhost backend in our application.

Finally, we need to wrap our application with the ApolloProvider and NhostProvider components. We can do this by adding the following code to our _app.js file:

import { ApolloProvider } from 'react-apollo';
import { NhostProvider } from 'nhost-js-sdk';

import nhostClient from '../nhost';

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <ApolloProvider client={nhostClient}>
      <NhostProvider auth={nhostClient.auth}>
        <Component {...pageProps} />
      </NhostProvider>
    </ApolloProvider>
  );
}

export default MyApp;

This code wraps our application with the ApolloProvider and NhostProvider components, providing our application with access to the GraphQL API and authentication system provided by Nhost.

With these steps, we have successfully integrated Nhost into our React Next.js project. We can now use the Nhost SDK to interact with the Nhost backend in our application.

Nhost configuration options in React Next.js

Here are the Nhost configuration options for React Next.js integration:

• base_url: The base URL of the Nhost backend. This is required to initialize the Nhost SDK and connect to the backend.

• client_storage_type: The type of storage to use for client-side storage. This can be either 'localstorage' or 'sessionstorage'.

• client_storage_prefix: The prefix to use for client-side storage keys. This is useful for avoiding naming conflicts with other applications.

• client_storage_expire: The expiration time for client-side storage keys, in milliseconds.

• client_storage_version: The version of the client-side storage schema. This is useful for migrating data between versions.

• client_storage_migrate: A function to migrate data between client-side storage schema versions.

• auth: The authentication system to use for the Nhost backend. This can be either 'email' or 'phone'.

• storage: The storage system to use for the Nhost backend. This can be either 'local' or 's3'.

• storage_url: The URL of the S3 bucket to use for storage, if using S3.

• storage_region: The region of the S3 bucket to use for storage, if using S3.

• storage_access_key: The access key for the S3 bucket to use for storage, if using S3.

• storage_secret_key: The secret key for the S3 bucket to use for storage, if using S3.

• storage_bucket: The name of the S3 bucket to use for storage, if using S3.

• storage_endpoint: The endpoint of the S3 bucket to use for storage, if using S3.

• storage_public_url: The public URL of the S3 bucket to use for storage, if using S3.

• storage_cache_control: The cache control header to use for stored files, if using S3.

These configuration options allow developers to customize the behavior of the Nhost SDK and backend to suit their specific needs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have learned how to integrate Nhost into a React Next.js application, providing our application with a complete backend infrastructure, including a PostgreSQL database, GraphQL API, and authentication system. We have seen how to initialize the Nhost SDK, interact with the GraphQL API, and implement authentication using Nhost's built-in authentication system. By following this tutorial, we have built a fully functional Next.js application with a backend powered by Nhost.

Nhost is a powerful and versatile platform for building modern web and mobile applications. With its complete backend infrastructure, scalability, security, and real-time data synchronization, Nhost provides developers with a range of tools and features to build robust and reliable applications. By using Nhost, developers can focus on building their frontend applications without worrying about the complexities of backend development, reducing development time and increasing productivity.

Overall, this tutorial has provided a solid foundation for integrating Nhost into a React Next.js application. With the knowledge gained from this tutorial, developers can continue to explore the capabilities of Nhost and build even more powerful and feature-rich applications.