Backend Development Curriculum

Overview

Setting up Node.js & npm

Introduction to Git & GitHub (init, clone, add, commit, push, pull)

Project Folder Structure

Writing your First Node.js Script

Variables, Data types, Operators

Functions, loops, conditionals

Arrays & Objects

ES6+ features (arrow functions, destructuring, spread/rest operators)

Modules (require, import/export)

Node.js Runtime and Event loop

File System (fs) Module

Path, OS, and other built-in Modules

Creating a simple HTTP Server

Handling Requests & Responses

npm & package.json basics

Installing & Setting up Express

Middleware & Routing

Handling Query Params, Route Params, and Body Data

Serving static files

Error handling & Debugging

REST API basics (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)

Introduction to Databases

NoSQL (MongoDB) vs SQL (PostgreSQL/MySQL)

MongoDB basics: Collections, Documents

Using Mongoose ORM

CRUD operations with Database

Relationships & Population

Intro to Authentication

Hashing passwords with bcrypt

JSON Web Tokens (JWT)

Role-based access control

Protecting Routes (middleware)

Asynchronous Programming (Promises, async/await)

API best practices (validation, error handling, status codes)

Environment Variables (.env files)

File upload handling (Multer, Cloudinary integration)

Logging (winston or morgan)

Using Postman for API testing

Generating API documentation in Postman

Collaborating and sharing Postman Collections

Best Practices for Writing clear API docs

Hosting options: Render, Railway, Heroku, or VPS

Environment setup (staging vs production)

Using GitHub for CI/CD basics

CORS & security best practices

Monitoring & Scaling

Build a full backend project (examples: Task Manager API, Blog API, Vehicle Registration System, E-commerce API)

Document APIs with Postman

Deployment of Final P-roject

Project presentation & feedback session