tomevault-io Next.js App Router
Priority: P0 (CRITICAL)
Use the App Router (app/ directory) for all new projects.
File Conventions
- page.tsx: The UI for a route.
- layout.tsx: Shared UI wrapping children. Persists across navigation.
- template.tsx: Similar to layout, but remounts on navigation.
- loading.tsx: Suspense boundary for loading states.
- error.tsx: Error boundary (Must be Client Component).
- not-found.tsx: Custom 404 UI.
- route.ts: Server-side API endpoint.
Structure Patterns
- Route Groups: Use parenthesis
(auth)to organize routes without affecting URL path.app/(auth)/login/page.tsx->/login
- Private Folders: Use underscore
_libto exclude folders from routing. - Dynamic Routes: Use brackets
[slug].app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx->/blog/abc
- Catch-all:
[...slug]matches subsequent segments.
Navigation
- Link Component: Use
<Link href="/dashboard">for prefetching. - Programmatic: Use
useRouterhook (Client Components only).router.push('/dashboard')
- Redirect: Use
redirect('/login')in Server Components.
Best Practices
- Colocation: Keep component files, styles, and tests inside the route folder.
- Layouts: Use Root Layout (
app/layout.tsx) for<html>and<body>tags.
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