Using Go and TypeScript in Next.js

In this blog post, we'll explore how to combine the power of Go and TypeScript in a Next.js project. Next.js is a popular React framework for building server-rendered applications, and integrating Go and TypeScript can bring additional benefits to your development workflow.

Why Go and TypeScript?

Go (also known as Golang) is a statically typed, compiled programming language that offers excellent performance and concurrency capabilities. It's well-suited for building robust and scalable back-end services.

On the other hand, TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that introduces static typing, making it easier to catch potential bugs and provide better tooling support. TypeScript is widely used in the JavaScript ecosystem and is an excellent choice for building frontend applications.

Combining Go and TypeScript allows us to leverage the strengths of both languages, creating a powerful full-stack development experience.

Setting up a Next.js project with Go and TypeScript

To get started, make sure you have Node.js and Go installed on your machine. Then, follow these steps:

1. Create a new Next.js project:

   npx create-next-app my-app
   cd my-app
   
   

2. Initialize Go modules in your project directory:

   go mod init github.com/your-username/my-app
   
   

3. Install the Go and TypeScript dependencies:

   go get github.com/gofiber/fiber/v2
   go get github.com/your-username/my-app/types
   
   

4. Create a Go server file (server.go) in your project's root directory, and implement a basic server using the Fiber framework:

   package main
   
   import (
       "github.com/gofiber/fiber/v2"
       "github.com/your-username/my-app/types"
   )
   
   func main() {
       app := fiber.New()
   
       app.Get("/", func(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
           message := types.Message{
               Text: "Hello, world!",
           }
           return c.JSON(message)
       })
   
       app.Listen(":3000")
   }
   
   

5. Create a TypeScript file (api.ts) in the pages/api directory, and implement a simple API endpoint that communicates with the Go server:

   import { NextApiRequest, NextApiResponse } from 'next';
   
   export default async function handler(
     req: NextApiRequest,
     res: NextApiResponse
   ) {
     const response = await fetch('http://localhost:3000');
     const message = await response.json();
   
     res.status(200).json({ message });
   }
   

6. Start the Go server by running go run server.go in your project's root directory.

7. Start the Next.js development server by running npm run dev.

Now, when you visit http://localhost:3000/api, you should see a response containing the message from the Go server. You have successfully integrated Go and TypeScript in your Next.js project!

Conclusion Combining Go and TypeScript in a Next.js project can provide a powerful and productive development experience. Go brings performance and concurrency capabilities to the back end, while TypeScript enhances the frontend with static typing and better tooling support.

By leveraging the strengths of both languages, you can build scalable, robust, and maintainable full-stack applications with ease.

Give it a try, and happy coding!