Server-Side Rendering: An Introduction for New Developers

When building web applications, one of the key decisions developers need to make is how to render their content on the client side. Traditionally, websites were rendered entirely on the server and sent to the client as a complete HTML page. However, with the rise of JavaScript frameworks like React and Angular, client-side rendering (CSR) has become the norm, where the website is built and rendered entirely in the browser.

But there’s another approach that’s gaining popularity: server-side rendering (SSR). In this model, the website is initially rendered on the server and then sent to the client as a complete HTML page. The client-side JavaScript then takes over to make the website interactive and dynamic.

So, what are the advantages of SSR? Here are a few:

1. Faster initial page load: Since the HTML is already generated on the server, the user sees the content much faster than in a CSR application, where the browser has to download and render the JavaScript before showing any content.

2. Better SEO: Since the complete HTML page is already available on the server, search engine crawlers can more easily index the content of the page, leading to better search engine rankings.

3. Accessibility: SSR can help improve the accessibility of websites, since the HTML is available from the server before the client-side JavaScript is loaded. This means that users with assistive technology can start interacting with the website as soon as the HTML is loaded, without having to wait for the JavaScript to download and execute.

So, how do you implement SSR in your web application? Well, it depends on your technology stack, but here are a few general steps:

1. Choose a server-side rendering framework or library that’s compatible with your technology stack. Some popular options include Next.js for React applications and Angular Universal for Angular applications.

2. Implement your web application using the chosen framework or library, making sure to use server-side rendering for the initial page load.

3. Test your application to make sure everything is working as expected, especially when it comes to client-side JavaScript that may be interacting with the rendered HTML.

4. Deploy your application to a server that can handle server-side rendering.

In conclusion, server-side rendering is a powerful technique that can help improve the performance, accessibility, and SEO of your web application. While it may require a bit more setup and configuration than client-side rendering, the benefits are well worth it. If you’re new to web development, consider exploring server-side rendering as a way to improve your web applications.