When developing the Mkdirs directory website template, we wanted to choose a tech stack that would make development faster, ensure high performance, and provide a smooth experience for both developers and users. After careful consideration, we decided to build Mkdirs with Next.js and TypeScript. Here’s why these technologies are our top choice.
Why Next.js?
We’re big fans of React—it has transformed UI development, making it more accessible and efficient. However, React on its own can sometimes feel like a blank canvas, giving developers too many choices and paths to navigate. That’s where Next.js comes in, offering a lightly opinionated, heavily optimized framework for building React applications.
Next.js shines by handling many of the core needs for web applications right out of the box:
• Routing: Next.js makes routing effortless, with built-in support for file-based routing that feels natural and intuitive.
• API routes: Handling backend functionality within the same project keeps things unified and minimizes the need to switch between different platforms or frameworks.
• Image optimization: Next.js’s image component automatically optimizes images, which leads to faster page loads and a better experience for end-users without additional work on our part.
In short, Next.js doesn’t just support our technical goals—it also guides developers toward making smart decisions by default. This allows us to focus more on building and improving Mkdirs rather than dealing with low-level configurations or complex setups.
Why TypeScript?
JavaScript has been the standard language for the web for years, but it has its quirks. With JavaScript, it’s easy to run into runtime errors due to unintentional mistakes like incorrect data types or accessing nonexistent properties. That’s why we use TypeScript—a language that builds on JavaScript by adding type safety.
TypeScript provides a more structured development experience, which brings several key benefits:
• Error catching at compile-time: TypeScript flags issues before they turn into bugs, saving us time and effort on debugging.
• Improved code quality and readability: With TypeScript, we define expected data types for variables, functions, and components. This makes our code clearer and more maintainable.
• Enhanced developer experience: TypeScript provides live feedback and helpful autocompletion in the code editor, which speeds up development and reduces the cognitive load for developers.
Type safety might feel strict, but it ultimately makes us faster by minimizing unexpected errors. Whether you’re new to web development or a seasoned pro, TypeScript’s structure helps streamline the process, providing a more consistent experience than vanilla JavaScript.
Bringing It All Together
By choosing Next.js and TypeScript, we’re creating a template that’s not only optimized for performance but also easy for developers to work with. Next.js handles the heavy lifting of routing, API setup, and image optimization, while TypeScript provides a safety net that helps us deliver high-quality code.
With this combination, Mkdirs becomes a tool that’s efficient, reliable, and scalable. Whether you’re looking to set up a directory website quickly or customize it to fit your unique needs, our choice of Next.js and TypeScript ensures you’re working with a tech stack designed for productivity and peace of mind.
