How to build advanced forms in Next.js using a rule engine
SMRTR summary
A new approach challenges that. By separating business rules from the components that display them, developers can build forms where eligibility decisions, step visibility, and filtered options are handled by a dedicated rule engine, evaluated both in the browser and on the server.
The key insight is a two-boundary model. The client keeps the experience responsive, while the server independently re-evaluates the same rules at submission, catching any manipulation or stale data along the way.
"If the component owns the rules, inline conditionals are correct. If the business owns the rules and the component is just the renderer, a rule engine is the better abstraction."
It's a meaningful architectural shift, particularly for lending, insurance, and compliance-sensitive applications where the rules belong to the business, not the codebase.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to LogRocket.
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