Assuming they are not able to respond (they must be mega busy and perhaps they don't check the discord at all 🤯 )
To answer your question, Next.js is a full stack framework built on top of React.js.
Not sure what did you mean by "backend-for-frontend" 🤔
https://nextjs.org/docs#what-is-nextjs

hey, it's a fairly common pattern in software architecture (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/backends-for-frontends), especially for microservices. I'm asking because next seems to be super well adapted to this pattern and I'm curious to know if it's intentional or not

Trying to understand but how is this related to Next.js? Explain me more if you don't mind?

@Southeastern blueberry bee Pattern is about having different backend services for desktop and mobile

I wonder how it's related to the Next.js framework

Let's say you have an application written in golang, it takes care of system-level manipulations (go is superbly suited to this kind of thing). And you need a user interface, you decide to design it with nextjs, but you realize that you won't be using many of the apis offered by nextjs, such as server actions or route handlers, since your frontend will call your go api directly.

this is where the backend-for-frontend concept can help

you can do aggregation, benefit from nextjs caching, server action... From this bff

first of all, if I understood correctly, backend-for-frontend is about having different backend services for desktop vs mobile, no?

yes one of other benefit

like network latency, since aggregation is done on the bff...

better separation of concern

hidde api keys, in brief lot of good thing

I'm going to write an article about it to get the concept into my head, and if it helps others... (look at ma bio)

okay then let say, we use Next.js to build website - we may want to use different backend for desktop vs mobile?

so having different services (that can be also written in different languages) and use next.js api as proxy?

thats it !

oh yeah I see, I should have understood earlier

but I think this is only a possible assumption

I think the real world example can be website for the desktop devices and mobile app for mobile devices

you know for the same product, mobile app has different UI and has limited features (sometimes)

I guess backend-for-frontend meant it - I might be wrong

in this case, Next.js can NOT be on the topic

can i know why please

it's because they mostly use different lanuage/framework for building mobile app

let say they build web using Next.js

and they build mobile app using Flutter

they will have different backend services for web and mobile

its not about mobile only

yes

next is for web only

then Next.js api routes will be only for web

yes nextjs = backenf for frontend of web front

you can also have another backenf for frontend but related to mobile views

then what if we use just React instead of Next.js for web?

and use Flutter for mobile

so whats backend for frontend we use for react ?

anything

yes of course you can

this one is more descriptive https://creativetech-fr.devoteam.com/2024/01/30/comment-le-pattern-backend-for-frontend-bff-securise-%F0%9F%94%90-votre-application-web/

my bad is in french

hmm I dunno French

so my main question is

translate it well worth a read

yep

(as you said Next.js is designed to be a backend-for-frontend)

no its a question haha

dunno forgot to how to explain/ask

okay so how Next.js is good as "backend-for-frontend" in other words having differnet services for mobile vs desktop?
if it's only used for the web (in our previous story)

"how Next.js is good as "backend-for-frontend" => offer caching, performance, and security

ofc I know - it's just Next.js features

okay I have checked this one

but as far as I understood it's about setting up itermediary api layer that communicates to 3rd parties

still am not sure because from my understanding BFF is
- a design pattern of having different backend services for desktop vs mobile
- an intermediary api layer that moves all connection management with services out of the frontend

so my doubt about your thoughts (Next.js is designed for BFF)
I agree on the second point, but on the first point if Next.js is only used for the web it doesn't make sense

i can also create bff for mobile

since my backend is made in go

nextjs will just act as a bff

then aother next.js for bff for mobile?

or one next.js bff for web and mobile?

think of the first bff as nextjs bff and the second one a flutter bff and the api is the core app

you can also add smartwatch bff for connected watch software

Its all up to how you want to do it... nextjs can do anything another backend can do. I would only wander over to another library if there was a ton of traffic expected and even then nextjs can likely handle it.

I use NextJs heavily as BFF since the backends are written in .NET

Have you noticed any benefits compared to using ReactJS directly? React <=> .NET

As mentioned above, you can aggregate or prefetch multiple data in server components before javascript loads.

- Overall, the apps feel really fast in my opinion.
- Being able to hide the original api from network is also a benefit.
- You can generate pdfs using route handlers so .Net developers don't have to worry about design xd.
- Storing the auth tokens in server side cookies feels safer.

A downside is the developer experience, sometimes you are tempted to validate the data in server actions even though it's not necessary and it just feels like you are overengineering all the stuff.

Thank you for the feedback

@Southeastern blueberry bee every metaframework can be used as BFF, remix has a section for just this https://remix.run/docs/hi/main/guides/bff