gray-matter VS Next.js

Writing in markdown is super convenient, and supported by just about any text editor. To convert these .md files to browser-ready HTML, I wrote a simple little Node.js script using two great npm packages called gray-matter and showdown.

Next, install gray-matter to extract metadata from the front matter of markdown files, and marked to convert the markdown files to HTML:

It turns out that Docusaurus uses an open source JavaScript parser called gray-matter to parse the front matter from markdown files! After installing gray-matter using npm and them importing it into the markdownUtils.ts file, all it takes is calling the matter method and passing the markdown file contents to get returned an Object with data and content (the data being the front matter and the content being the rest of the markdown file contents).

Although we are building a custom table of contents, we won't have to write everything from scratch. To separate the Markdown/MDX content from the front matter, we'll use the Gray-matter package. It is optional in case you don't have front matter in your Markdown files. To process the Markdown itself, we'll use the Remark package. We'll also need the unist-util-visit package for traversing node trees and mdast-util-to-string for getting the text content of a node.

In this article we walk you through the process of creating a simple blog app using the popular React framework NextJS, gray-matter and next-mdx-remote.

In order to get post information (such as author, title, date, etc.) from our HTML without having them be apart of our rendered post we need a way to parse YAML front matter, this is where gray-matter comes in hand.

It’s actually not part of the CommonMark spec, so you’ll often need a 3rd party library to parse it out on top of your Markdown parser. In JavaScript we use gray-matter which converts frontmatter into a JS object we can more easily use.

Over the past few weeks, I mostly wrote on how to template a Node.js application with EJS using Express. Then, I wrote an article showing how to create a Markdown blog in Node.js using EJS, Express, gray-matter and markdown-it. Today, I'll combine those tutorials to turn the Markdown blog, from the last tutorial, into a simple SSG.

gray-matter, to parse the front matter from the Markdown files

Luckily for us, there is a fantastic NPM package that can help us with this. Let’s install it.

If you're acquainted with NextJs, the directives will come as no surprise.

Deploying a full-stack Next.js web app can seem complex, but with the right tools, it's straightforward. This tutorial will cover the essentials to get your app up and running quickly:

This is a Next.js project bootstrapped with create-next-app.

New Developers to the Next.js ecosystem require some understanding of HTML, CSS, and React; the React Foundation course by Next.js is a good place to start. If you’re comfortable with React.js, Next feels easy, backed with bulks of popular tools and libraries on GitHub.

This article contrasts two whales: Next.js vs Node.js. Both projects are open-source but have different use cases. Next is React-based, which supports static and server-rendered pages, helping build dynamic and hybrid applications thanks to its automatic static optimization feature. Node is a runtime environment for implementing JavaScript code outside the browser, particularly on the server.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to use Strapi, ChatGPT, and Next.js to build an app that displays recipes using AI.

I initially started with Firebase Admin, but it always end up choosing between Firebase or Next. So, after battling with Firebase SDK initialization (#44966) for quite a long time, I had to ditch it and look for alternatives. Supabase looked good but was too much for my needs. Eventually, I settled with Notion as it gave the information I required as well as a nice UI to manage that informations, that too for free.

In the JavaScript ecosystem, there are guides for enabling SAML-based enterprise single sign-on in AdonisJS, Express.js, Next.js, Remix, and React with an Express.js backend.

import { TextInput, Select } from '@mantine/core'; // Example usage ; ; Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode Maps: React Simple Maps provides maps that are valuable for visualizing geospatial data. You can integrate interactive maps into your dashboard to represent data points geographically. import {ComposableMap, Geographies, Geography, Marker} from "react-simple-maps"; // Example usage {...} {... return ( ); })} Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode By incorporating these core components, our template accelerates the development of admin dashboards. These components are designed to work seamlessly together, providing a cohesive user experience. You can effortlessly create complex data visualizations, interactive tables, intuitive forms, and interactive maps — essential elements that transform raw data into meaningful insights. Deploying the Template to a Live Environment Deploying our admin dashboard template to a live environment is a straightforward process. We recommend utilizing popular hosting platforms like Vercel, Netlify, or Firebase Hosting. These platforms offer seamless integration with Next.js and allow you to deploy with a few simple steps: Install Required Dependencies: Ensure you have the necessary dependencies specified in the package.json file. Build the Project: Generate a production build of your Next.js application using the command: npm run build. Select Hosting Platform: Choose your preferred hosting platform (e.g., Vercel). Connect Repository: Link your template’s GitHub repository to the hosting platform. Configure Deployment Settings: Configure deployment settings, such as branch selection and build commands. Deploy: Trigger the deployment process. The hosting platform will automatically build and deploy your admin dashboard template. Real-World Use Cases The versatility of our admin dashboard template knows no bounds. It caters to a myriad of real-world use cases, each tailored to specific industries and applications: E-Commerce Management: The template can be employed to manage product listings, order processing, and inventory tracking for online stores. Data Analytics: With its data visualization components, the template can serve as a dashboard for analyzing metrics, trends, and insights. Project Management: The template’s customizable components facilitate the creation of project management tools for tracking tasks, deadlines, and team collaboration. SaaS Applications: As the foundation of a Software as a Service (SaaS) application, the template streamlines user management, subscription tracking, and data presentation. Content Management: It can also function as a content management system dashboard, offering tools to manage articles, media, and user-generated content. Live Demo For a hands-on experience, explore the live demo of our admin dashboard template: Live demo — https://mantine-analytics-dashboard.netlify.app/ Witness the template’s adaptability, responsiveness, and functionality firsthand. Feel free to interact with its components, navigate through its sections, and envisage how it could seamlessly integrate into your projects. Contributing and Support I welcome all developers and enthusiasts to contribute to the growth of our open-source admin dashboard template. Contributing is a collaborative process that empowers us to collectively enhance the template’s capabilities and quality. To get started: Fork the Repository: Fork the template’s GitHub repository to your own GitHub account. Clone the Fork: Clone the forked repository to your local machine using Git. Create a Branch: Create a new branch for your contributions to keep the main codebase intact. Implement Changes: Make your desired changes, add new components, or refine existing features. Commit and Push: Commit your changes to the new branch and push them to your GitHub fork. Submit a Pull Request: Submit a pull request from your forked repository to the main template repository. Your changes will be reviewed and potentially merged. Conclusion In summary, our Mantine and Next.js admin dashboard template offers a range of benefits that empower developers, designers, and entrepreneurs to create exceptional admin interfaces: Efficiency and Speed: The template expedites development by providing a pre-built foundation of components and features, allowing you to focus on customization and innovation. Consistency and Aesthetics: Mantine’s design-first approach and Next.js’s performance optimizations ensure a consistent and visually appealing user experience. Flexibility and Customization: The template’s modularity and theming options facilitate easy customization to align with your project’s unique branding and requirements. Rich Functionality: The integration of core components such as charts, tables, forms, and maps equips you with tools to tackle diverse dashboard functionalities. Invitation to Explore and Utilize The Mantine and Next.js admin dashboard template isn’t just an end; it’s a beginning — a starting point for your creative journey. Whether you’re a seasoned developer seeking a rapid launch or an enthusiast keen on learning modern development practices, this template is your canvas. Additional Resources GitHub repository — https://github.com/design-sparx/mantine-analytics-dashboard Mantine — https://mantine.dev/ Nextjs — https://nextjs.org/ Code documentation — https://mantine-analytics-dashboard-docs.netlify.app/