Progressively Enhanced Mutations with Next.js Server Actions

Next.js is a popular framework for building server-side rendered React applications. One of its key features is the ability to use server-side actions to handle mutations in a progressively enhanced way.

What are Server Actions?

In Next.js, server actions are functions that run on the server before the page is rendered. They can be used to handle mutations, such as updating a database, sending an email, or any other server-side operation.

Progressively Enhancing Mutations

Progressive enhancement is the concept of starting with a basic, functional version of a feature and then adding more advanced functionality as the user’s capabilities allow. With Next.js server actions, we can apply this concept to mutations.

For example, let’s say we have a form that allows users to submit a new post. Instead of immediately sending the form data to the server and updating the database, we can start by using a client-side mutation to update the UI with the new post. Then, in the background, we can use a server action to update the database.

Benefits of Progressively Enhanced Mutations

Progressively enhanced mutations have several benefits:

• Improved Performance: By handling mutations on the client side first, we can provide a faster and more responsive user experience.
• Resilient to Network Failures: If the server action fails for any reason, the client-side mutation has already updated the UI, preventing a negative user experience.
• Better User Experience: Users can see the immediate impact of their actions, even before the server has processed the mutation.

Using Server Actions with Next.js

To use server actions with Next.js, we can define a special function called getServerSideProps in our page component. This function runs on the server and can be used to handle mutations or other server-side operations.

Here’s an example of using getServerSideProps to handle a mutation:

    
      export async function getServerSideProps(context) {
        // perform server-side operation (e.g. update database)
        await updateDatabase(context.req.body);
        
        // return updated data to be used in the page
        return {
          props: {
            data: updatedData
          }
        };
      }
    
  

By using getServerSideProps in this way, we can progressively enhance mutations and provide a better user experience while still taking advantage of server-side rendering and the benefits it provides.