Introduction:

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, user experience is paramount. One effective way to enhance user experience is by incorporating a progress bar that provides visual feedback during page transitions. With the release of Next.js 14, integrating a router progress bar has become even more straightforward. In this article, we will explore step-by-step how to add a router progress bar to your Next.js 14 project, complete with a full example and images.

Setting Up a Next.js 14 Project:

Assuming you have Node.js installed, let's start by creating a new Next.js 14 project:

npx create-next-app my-next-app
cd my-next-app
npm install

Now, make sure you are using Next.js version 14 or later:

npm install next@latest

Adding Router Progress Bar:

Next.js 14 comes with a built-in component called TopProgressBar that makes it easy to add a router progress bar.

1. Open the pages/_app.js file in your project.

2. Import the TopProgressBar component:

// pages/_app.js
import { TopProgressBar } from 'nextjs-progressbar';

3. Wrap your Component with TopProgressBar:

// pages/_app.js
function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <>
      <TopProgressBar />
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </>
  );
}

export default MyApp;

Customizing the Progress Bar:

You can customize the appearance of the progress bar by passing options to the TopProgressBar component. For example:

// pages/_app.js
function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <>
      <TopProgressBar color="#29D" startPosition={0.3} stopDelayMs={200} />
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </>
  );
}

export default MyApp;

• color: Sets the color of the progress bar.
• startPosition: Sets the starting position of the progress bar.
• stopDelayMs: Sets a delay before the progress bar disappears after the page transition completes.

Example Usage:

Let's create a simple example to test the router progress bar.

1. Create a new page, pages/about.js:

// pages/about.js
import Link from 'next/link';

const AboutPage = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>About Us</h1>
      <p>This is the about page.</p>
      <Link href="/">
        <a>Go back to Home</a>
      </Link>
    </div>
  );
};

export default AboutPage;

Testing the Progress Bar:

Start your Next.js app and navigate between pages. You should see the router progress bar in action.

npm run dev

Conclusion:

Integrating a router progress bar in Next.js 14 is a simple yet effective way to provide users with visual feedback during page transitions. With the built-in TopProgressBar component, you can effortlessly enhance the user experience in your Next.js applications. Customize the appearance to match your design, and watch as your users enjoy a smoother and more visually appealing navigation experience. Happy coding!