Mastering Node.js: From Beginner to Backend Pro

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Node.js Expert

1. NodeJS Architecture

What you’ll learn

  • NodeJs Magic: Event-Driven Architecture.
  • Create powerful apps using Nodejs essentials like HTTP servers, file systems, paths, and event emitters..
  • Master the Toolbox: Install, manage, and update packages effortlessly with npm..
  • Callbacks, Promises, and Beyond: Unlock the secrets of asynchronous programming with Nodejs..

Course Content

  • Introduction –> 11 lectures • 48min.

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Requirements

1. NodeJS Architecture

  • Event-Driven Architecture: Understanding how NodeJS handles asynchronous operations using an event loop.
  • Single Threaded Nature: Learn how NodeJS manages multiple tasks concurrently despite being single-threaded.
  • Non-blocking I/O: How NodeJS uses non-blocking I/O operations to handle multiple requests efficiently.

2. Core Modules

  • HTTP Module: Creating HTTP servers, handling requests and responses.
  • File System (fs) Module: Reading and writing files, managing directories.
  • Path Module: Working with file and directory paths.
  • Events Module: Creating and handling custom events.
  • Stream Module: Handling large data sets by processing data in chunks.
  • OS Module: Interacting with the operating system, gathering system information.
  • Util Module: Utility functions, including deprecating methods and debugging.

3. npm (Node Package Manager)

  • Package Management: Installing, updating, and removing packages.
  • Creating and Publishing Packages: Building your own NodeJS packages and publishing them to npm.
  • Semantic Versioning: Understanding versioning in npm and how to use it.

4. Asynchronous Programming

  • Callbacks: The foundation of async programming in NodeJS.
  • Promises: Handling asynchronous operations more elegantly with .then() and .catch().
  • Async/Await: Writing asynchronous code that looks synchronous for better readability.
  • Event Loop: In-depth understanding of how the event loop processes asynchronous callbacks.
  • Timers: Using setTimeout, setInterval, and setImmediate.

5. Express.js Framework

  • Setting Up a Server: Creating a basic server with Express.
  • Routing: Defining routes for handling HTTP requests.
  • Middleware: Implementing and understanding the role of middleware in request processing.
  • Error Handling: Centralized error handling in Express applications.
  • Template Engines: Using engines like EJS, Pug, or Handlebars to render dynamic content.

6. Web APIs and RESTful Services

  • Creating REST APIs: Building RESTful services with Express.js or other frameworks.
  • CRUD Operations: Implementing Create, Read, Update, Delete operations in your API.
  • Authentication: Securing APIs with JWT (JSON Web Tokens), OAuth, or other authentication methods.
  • API Documentation: Using tools like Swagger to document your API.

7. Database Integration

  • SQL Databases: Using libraries like pg for PostgreSQL or mysql2 for MySQL.
  • NoSQL Databases: Integrating with MongoDB using Mongoose.
  • ORMs: Working with ORMs like Sequelize for SQL databases.
  • Database Migrations: Managing database schema changes with migration tools.

8. Real-time Applications

  • WebSockets: Using libraries like socketIO to build real-time applications like chat apps.
  • Server-Sent Events (SSE): Implementing unidirectional server-to-client updates.
  • Polling: Understanding long polling as an alternative to WebSockets.

9. Security

  • Data Validation: Ensuring incoming data is valid and secure using libraries like Joi.
  • Input Sanitization: Preventing injection attacks by sanitizing input.
  • Authentication and Authorization: Implementing secure authentication mechanisms.
  • HTTPS: Securing your NodeJS server with HTTPS.
  • Rate Limiting: Protecting your APIs from brute-force attacks with rate limiting.

10. Testing

  • Unit Testing: Writing tests for individual units of code using frameworks like Mocha, Jest, or Jasmine.
  • Integration Testing: Testing the interaction between different parts of your application.
  • Test-Driven Development (TDD): Writing tests before code to ensure functionality.
  • Mocking and Stubbing: Simulating external services or functions in tests.

11. Deployment and Scaling

  • Environment Management: Using .env files and environment variables for configuration.
  • Process Management: Using PM2 or forever to manage NodeJS processes in production.
  • Load Balancing: Distributing traffic across multiple instances of your application.
  • Scaling: Horizontal and vertical scaling techniques for NodeJS applications.
  • Containerization: Using Docker to containerize your NodeJS application.
  • CI/CD Pipelines: Automating the deployment process using tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or CircleCI.

12. Working with Streams and Buffers

  • Readable and Writable Streams: Understanding how to process data piece by piece.
  • Pipes: Connecting streams together to pass data from one stream to another.
  • Transform Streams: Manipulating data as it is read or written.
  • Buffers: Handling binary data directly in NodeJS.

13. Error Handling and Debugging

  • Error Handling Best Practices: Using try…catch and centralized error handling middleware.
  • Logging: Implementing logging using libraries like Winston or Bunyan.
  • Debugging: Using NodeJS built-in debugger or Chrome DevTools for debugging.

14. Build Tools and Task Runners

  • Gulp: Automating tasks like minification, compilation, and linting.
  • Webpack: Module bundler for handling project assets.
  • ESLint: Enforcing coding standards and style guidelines.

15. Microservices and API Gateways

  • Microservice Architecture: Designing and implementing microservices with NodeJS.
  • API Gateway: Managing multiple microservices behind a unified interface using tools like YARP or NGINX.
  • Inter-service Communication: Using protocols like HTTP, gRPC, or message queues.

16. Performance Optimization

  • Profiling: Using tools like NodeJS Profiler and Clinic.js to identify performance bottlenecks.
  • Caching: Implementing caching strategies with Redis or in-memory caches.
  • Clustering: Utilizing NodeJS’s clustering module to take advantage of multi-core systems.

17. Advanced Topics

  • Child Processes: Running multiple processes from a single NodeJS script.
  • Worker Threads: Leveraging multi-threading in NodeJS for CPU-intensive tasks.
  • Serverless: Deploying NodeJS applications in a serverless architecture using AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, etc.