Understanding Next.js routeChangeStart and router events

The article provides an extensive exploration of the routing system in Next.js, a modern full-stack React framework renowned for its built-in routing capabilities. It explains how Next.js utilizes a page-based routing concept, where any file in the pages directory is automatically considered a route, and delves into nested and dynamic routing to efficiently manage complex page structures. The text also covers various router events such as routeChangeStart, routeChangeComplete, and hashChange events, highlighting their utility in handling navigation, implementing loading indicators, and optimizing user experiences during page transitions. New features introduced in Next.js 14, such as the usePathname hook for retrieving current route paths and the router.refresh() method for manual route refreshing, are discussed along with their potential applications. Additionally, the article touches on differences between routing with next/link and next/router, offering insight into when to use each for declarative or imperative navigation. The use of router events in server-side rendering contexts is emphasized, particularly for informing users with loading indicators during potentially lengthy data-fetching operations.