NodeJS Tutorials

Node.js Tutorials Roadmap

What is Node.js?
- A JavaScript runtime environment.
- Allows you to run JavaScript code outside of a web browser.
- Built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine.
Why Node.js?
- Single-threaded, non-blocking I/O model.
- Efficient for handling concurrent connections (ideal for web servers).
- Uses JavaScript for both frontend and backend development.
- Large ecosystem of packages (npm).
Key Concepts:
- Event Loop.
- Asynchronous Programming.
- Modules (CommonJS and ES Modules).
Setting up Node.js:
- Installing Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager).
- Verifying installation.
Running Your First Node.js Application:
- Creating a simple "Hello, World!" script.
- Executing Node.js files from the command line.

Introduction to Built-in Modules:
- Modules provided by Node.js itself.
- Using the require() function (CommonJS).
- Using import statements (ES Modules - newer syntax).
fs Module (File System):
- Reading and writing files.
- Synchronous vs. Asynchronous file operations.
- Checking file existence, getting file information.
path Module:
- Working with file and directory paths.
- Joining paths, resolving paths, getting directory names.
os Module:
- Getting operating system information.
- CPU information, memory information, network interfaces.
http Module:
- Creating basic HTTP servers.
- Handling requests and sending responses.
- Understanding request and response objects.
events Module:
- Working with the EventEmitter pattern.
- Emitting and listening for events.
util Module:
- Utility functions (e.g., util.inherits, util.promisify).

Understanding Asynchronous Operations:
- Why Node.js is asynchronous.
- Blocking vs. Non-blocking code.
Callbacks:
- Using callback functions for asynchronous results.
- Callback Hell (pyramid of doom).
Promises:
- Introduction to Promises.
- States of a Promise (Pending, Fulfilled, Rejected).
- Using .then() and .catch().
Async/Await:
- Syntactic sugar over Promises.
- Writing asynchronous code that looks synchronous.
- Using the async keyword with functions.
- Using the await keyword to wait for Promises to resolve.
- Error handling with try...catch.

Introduction to npm:
- The world's largest software registry.
- Managing project dependencies.
Initializing a Project:
- npm init.
- Understanding package.json.
Installing Packages:
- Installing local dependencies (npm install <package-name>).
- Installing global packages (npm install -g <package-name>).
- Installing development dependencies (npm install <package-name> --save-dev).
- Understanding node_modules.
Updating and Removing Packages:
- npm update <package-name>.
- npm uninstall <package-name>.
Running Scripts:
- Defining and running scripts in package.json.

Introduction to Express.js:
- A popular minimalist web framework for Node.js.
- Simplifying web application development.
Setting up an Express Project:
- Installing Express.
- Creating a basic Express server.
Routing:
- Defining routes for different URLs and HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).
- Route parameters.
Middleware:
- Understanding middleware functions.
- Using built-in middleware (e.g., express.json(), express.static()).
- Creating custom middleware.
Handling Requests and Responses:
- Accessing request data (body, query parameters, headers).
- Sending responses (JSON, HTML, text).
Serving Static Files:
- Using express.static().
Templating Engines (Optional):
- Introduction to templating engines (e.g., EJS, Pug).
- Rendering dynamic content.

Choosing a Database:
- Relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL).
- NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB).
Connecting to Databases:
- Using database drivers/libraries (e.g., mysql2, pg, mongoose).
- Establishing database connections.
Performing CRUD Operations:
- Creating, Reading, Updating, and Deleting data.
- Using SQL queries or ORMs/ODMs.
Using ORMs/ODMs (Optional but Recommended):
- Object-Relational Mappers (e.g., Sequelize for SQL, TypeORM).
- Object-Document Mappers (e.g., Mongoose for MongoDB).
- Simplifying database interactions.

Handling Errors in Node.js:
- Understanding error types.
- Using try...catch blocks.
- Error-first callbacks.
- Handling unhandled errors and rejections.
Debugging Node.js Applications:
- Using console.log().
- Using the Node.js debugger (node inspect).
- Using debugger tools in IDEs (e.g., VS Code).

Introduction to Authentication:
- Verifying user identity.
- Session-based authentication.
- Token-based authentication (e.g., JWT - JSON Web Tokens).
Implementing Authentication:
- Using libraries like Passport.js.
- Hashing passwords (e.g., bcrypt).
Authorization:
- Controlling user access to resources.
- Role-based access control (RBAC).

Introduction to Testing:
- Why testing is important.
- Types of tests (Unit, Integration, End-to-End).
Unit Testing:
- Testing individual functions or modules.
- Using testing frameworks (e.g., Jest, Mocha, Chai).
Integration Testing:
- Testing interactions between different parts of the application.
Mocking and Stubbing:
- Replacing dependencies with mock objects for testing.

Preparing for Deployment:
- Environment variables.
- Configuration management.
Deployment Platforms:
- Heroku, AWS (EC2, Lambda), Google Cloud Platform, DigitalOcean, etc.
Process Management:
- Using process managers (e.g., PM2) to keep applications running.
Monitoring and Logging:
- Monitoring application performance and errors.
- Logging best practices.

Working with Streams:
- Handling large amounts of data efficiently.
- Readable, Writable, Duplex, Transform streams.
Child Processes:
- Executing external commands.
- spawn, exec, fork.
WebSockets:
- Building real-time applications (e.g., chat applications).
- Using libraries like Socket.IO.
Microservices Architecture (Optional):
- Introduction to building applications as a collection of small, independent services.

Keeping up with Node.js Updates:
- Understanding LTS (Long-Term Support) and current releases.
Exploring Popular Frameworks and Libraries:
- NestJS (opinionated framework).
- Koa (minimalist framework).
- GraphQL with Node.js.
Contributing to the Node.js Community:
- Open source contributions.
Learning Resources:
- Official Node.js documentation.
- npm documentation.
- Online courses (Udemy, Coursera, edX).
- Blogs and tutorials.
- Books.