Routing Terminology in Next.js

In Next.js, routing is primarily handled through the app directory (introduced in Next.js 13) and the older pages directory. Key terms include:

• Route: A specific URL path that maps to a particular component or page. For example, /blog/my-first-post.

• Route Segment: A part of the URL path. In /blog/my-first-post, blog and my-first-post are route segments.

• File-System Routing: Next.js uses a file-system based router. The structure of your directories and files within the app or pages directory directly defines your application's routes.

• Dynamic Routes: Routes that include parameters, allowing you to create pages based on data. For example, /blog/[slug] where [slug] is a dynamic parameter.

• Index Route: The route that is served when a user visits a directory. Typically represented by an index.js or page.js file within a directory.

• Layout: A component that wraps multiple pages, providing a consistent UI structure (like headers and footers) across different routes.

• Link Component: The <Link> component from next/link is used for client-side navigation between routes, providing better performance than traditional <a> tags.