Back-end Application Development with Node.js and Express

Modules

Module 1: Introduction to BackendDevelopment

• What is BBackendevelopment?
  • Definition and key responsibilities
  • Differences between front-end and babackendpular bacbackendguages and frameworks
• Why Choose Node.js and Express?
  • Overview of Node.js and its asynchronous, non-blocking nature
  • Overview of Express.js as a minimalist web framework
  • Use cases and applications

Module 2: Setting Up Node.js and Express

• Installing Node.js
  • Introduction to npm (Node Package Manager)
  • Node.js version management
• Creating Your First Node.js Application
  • Basic Node.js script
  • Exploring package.json and package-lock.json
• Installing and Configuring Express
  • Express installation and setup
  • Setting up a primary Express server

Module 3: Working with Routes and Middleware

• Routing in Express
  • Defining routes with GET, POST, PUT, DELETE
  • Handling query parameters and route parameters
• Introduction to Middleware
  • Built-in vs. third-party middleware
  • Implementing custom middleware
  • Error handling middleware

Module 4: Handling Requests and Responses

• Understanding HTTP Methods
  • GET, POST, PUT, DELETE explained
  • Using request parameters, body, and headers
• Working with JSON and Form Data
  • Parsing JSON requests with body-parser
  • Handling form submissions
• Serving Static Files
  • Configuring Express to serve static assets (images, CSS, JavaScript)

Module 5: Database Integration

• Introduction to Databases
  • SQL vs. NoSQL databases
  • Popular databases for Node.js applications (e.g., MongoDB, PostgreSQL)
• Connecting Node.js to a Database
  • Setting up MongoDB with Mongoose
  • Database CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
• Validating Data
  • Input validation and error handling

Module 6: User Authentication and Authorization

• Introduction to Authentication
  • Basic authentication concepts: sessions, tokens, cookies
  • Authentication libraries (e.g., Passport.js, JSON Web Tokens)
• Implementing JWT-based Authentication
  • Register and log routes
  • Protecting routes with authentication middleware
• Role-based Authorization
  • Defining roles and permissions
  • Protecting routes based on user roles

Module 7: RESTful API Development

• What is REST?
  • REST principles and architectural style
  • Creating a RESTful API with Node.js and Express
• Building CRUD APIs
  • Defining endpoints for Create, Read, Update, Delete
  • Handling errors and sending appropriate HTTP status codes
• Versioning APIs
  • Best practices for API versioning

Module 8: Testing and Debugging

• Unit Testing with Mocha and Chai
  • Writing and running test cases for your application
  • Testing routes and middleware
• Debugging Techniques
  • Debugging in Node.js using console logs and tools
  • Using the Node.js debugger

Module 9: Deployment and Scaling

• Deploying Your Application
  • Hosting options (Heroku, AWS, DigitalOcean)
  • Preparing your app for production
• Environment Variables and Configuration
  • Setting up environment-specific configurations
  • Using .env files
• Scaling Node.js Applications
  • Horizontal scaling with Node.js clusters
  • Introduction to load balancing

Module 10: Project: Build a Full-Stack Web Application

• Project Overview
  • Description of the final project (e.g., a blog, an e-commerce platform)
  • Requirements and features to be implemented
• Building the BackBackendting up a database, creating API routes, implementing authentication
• Deploying the Final Project
  • Hosting the application and connecting the front end to the backend