Build a Full Stack App: Next.js, Prisma, and SQLite Tutorial

Want to build a modern web application quickly and efficiently? This guide demonstrates how to create a full-stack application using Next.js, Prisma, and SQLite. Discover how these technologies work together to provide a streamlined development experience.

Why Choose Next.js, Prisma, and SQLite?

These tools offer compelling advantages for building full-stack apps:

• Next.js: A React framework providing server-side rendering, routing, and API capabilities.
• Prisma: An ORM simplifying database interactions with type safety and auto-completion.
• SQLite: A lightweight, file-based database easy to set up and deploy.

This combination provides a robust solution for building everything from simple prototypes to complex web applications.

Project Setup: Get Your Development Environment Ready

Let's start by setting up your Next.js project and integrating Prisma with SQLite.

Create a New Next.js App

Execute the following command in your terminal:

npx create-next-app@latest

Follow the prompts, opting for the "pages" router for this tutorial.

Install Prisma

Install Prisma as a development dependency:

npm i -D prisma

Initialize Prisma with SQLite

Initialize Prisma with SQLite using this command:

npx prisma init --datasource-provider sqlite

This will create a prisma folder containing a schema.prisma file.

Defining Your Data Models

The schema.prisma file is where you define your database models. Let's create User and Post models:

model User {
  id    Int     @id @default(autoincrement())
  email String  @unique
  name  String?
  posts Post[]
}

model Post {
  id        Int     @id @default(autoincrement())
  title     String
  content   String?
  published Boolean @default(false)
  author    User    @relation(fields: [authorId], references: [id])
  authorId  Int
}

• This schema defines a one-to-many relationship between User and Post models.
• Prisma uses this schema to generate a type-safe client for your database interactions.

Creating the SQLite Database

Apply the schema to your SQLite database:

npx prisma migrate dev --name init

This command creates a migrations folder within the prisma directory, containing the database schema definition. You've successfully set up your SQLite database.

Next Steps: Building Your API

With the database set up, the next step is to create API endpoints for performing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on your data.