Introduction to Edge Runtime in Next.js
In today's web technologies, speed and efficiency are two key elements that must be considered in the design and development of web applications. Technologies such as Next.js introduce capabilities like Edge Runtime that enable developers to execute their JavaScript code as quickly as possible.
Edge Runtime is essentially a mechanism that allows you to run part of your application code closer to the network's nearest networks (border servers). This capability not only increases the speed of server response time but also enhances user interaction with the application.
In this article, we will thoroughly examine how to use Edge Runtime when utilizing App Router in Next.js while moving step by step to ensure that this technology is easily implemented in your projects.
Code Overview in Next.js Applications
One of the challenges faced by developers in managing complex code in large and scalable applications. Next.js introduces its new routing system, namely App Router and combining it with Edge Runtime offers a good solution for this issue.
Code Example: Using Edge Runtime in App Router
import { useRouter } from 'next/router';
const handler = async (req, res) => {
// Edge runtime functions
if (req.method === 'GET') {
res.json({ message: 'Hello from Edge!' });
}
};
export default handler;
Line-by-Line Code Explanation
import { useRouter } from 'next/router';This line imports the routing module from Next.js.
const handler = async (req, res) => {In this line, we are using an async function to allow for non-blocking interactions and utilize features in JavaScript efficiently.
if (req.method === 'GET') {Here, we check if the request method is a GET request.
res.json({ message: 'Hello from Edge!' });This line sends a JSON response back to the request with a message.
}This line signifies the end of the if block.
export default handler;This line exports the handler as the default export of the module.