Course Outline

🔹 Day 1: Node.js & Express Basics

Session 1: Introduction to Backend with Node.js

• What is backend development?
• Why Node.js? Event-driven, non-blocking I/O
• Setting up the Node.js environment

Session 2: Creating Your First Server with Express

• Introduction to Express.js
• Creating routes, middleware, and basic error handling
• Handling JSON requests and responses

Session 3: API Development Fundamentals

• RESTful architecture principles
• HTTP methods and status codes
• Route parameters, query strings, and request body parsing

Lab Activities:

• Set up a Node.js project and build a basic Express server
• Create multiple endpoints (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) for a resource
• Test APIs using Postman

🔹 Day 2: Database Integration & API Features

Session 1: Connecting to MongoDB with Mongoose

• What is MongoDB and why NoSQL?
• Mongoose schemas and models
• CRUD operations with MongoDB

Session 2: API Enhancements and Modularization

• Structuring Express apps (routes, controllers, services)
• Middleware for logging, error handling, and parsing
• Environment variables and dotenv setup

Session 3: Data Validation and Error Handling

• Validating data with Joi or Mongoose validation
• Handling errors consistently
• Custom error classes and global error middleware

Lab Activities:

• Build a CRUD API connected to MongoDB
• Modularize code using Express Router and controllers
• Add input validation and implement error handling

🔹 Day 3: Authentication, Security & Deployment

Session 1: User Authentication & JWT

• Introduction to authentication and authorization
• Hashing passwords with bcrypt
• Generating and verifying JWTs (JSON Web Tokens)

Session 2: Securing APIs

• Protecting routes with middleware
• CORS, Helmet, and rate-limiting for API security
• Secure environment variable usage

Session 3: Project Deployment + Capstone

• Hosting with platforms like Render, Railway, or Heroku
• Preparing for production: logs, env files, and error monitoring
• Capstone project: Build and deploy a secure REST API

Lab Activities:

• Implement user signup and login functionality with JWT
• Protect API endpoints using authentication middleware
• Deploy the API and test it in production