Week 3 — Next.js Getting Started

Start by running the web application that already exists in this workspace instead of creating a second app.

A predictable tree lets you trace an Course screen from its URL to its route component and supporting code.

Choose the file that owns UI so navigation, providers, and page-specific data do not become tangled.

Navigation should preserve the app experience while retaining normal browser behavior for external destinations.

The boundary controls bundle size, available APIs, and whether code can safely access server-only values.

Fetching strategy follows rendering and ownership requirements, not a desire to replace the product API.

Interactive product writes use Nest endpoints and TanStack Query mutations in this monorepo.

Next server caches and TanStack Query’s browser cache solve different problems and must not be confused.

The correct revalidation mechanism depends on which cache contains the stale representation.

Route boundaries complement, rather than replace, request states inside interactive client components.

Style ownership should be as deliberate as component ownership so visual changes remain predictable and accessible.

Image optimization improves loading experience, but it does not make untrusted remote hosts or misleading alt text safe.

Typography affects readability and performance because late font swaps can move content after users begin reading.

Good metadata represents the current route accurately rather than repeating generic application copy.

Keeping ownership clear prevents ticket rules, authentication, and validation from drifting across two servers.

Proxying can simplify a browser path, but it must preserve cookie, CORS, and error behavior intentionally.

The deployed web app must communicate safely with the separately deployed Nest API without exposing secrets.

Next upgrades can affect rendering, routing, caching, and dependencies, so they need a focused and evidence-based change.