Backend Development

You will leave able to

• Design JSON APIs with validation and honest errors
• Store data in a real database with migrations
• Handle uploads, sessions, and audit logs
• Ship a service with healthchecks and backups in mind

Outline

1. 01

   HTTP without the mystery

   Methods and status · Headers · JSON as a contract · 8h

2. 02

   Node as a server

   Runtime · Routing · Env config · 8h

   Build: Health + echo API
3. 03

   Data you can trust

   Relational thinking · SQLite/Postgres · Migrations · 8h

4. 04

   CRUD that is actually correct

   Validation · Ids · Error shapes · 8h

   Build: Resource API with tests
5. 05

   Auth sessions

   Password hashing · Cookies · CSRF awareness · 8h

6. 06

   Files and evidence

   Uploads · MIME allow-lists · Private storage · 8h

   Build: Receipt upload endpoint
7. 07

   Business rules

   Transactions · Seat caps · Idempotent register · 8h

8. 08

   Security basics

   Injection · Rate limits · Secrets · 8h

   Build: Threat notes on your API
9. 09

   Jobs and mail

   Transactional email · Retries · Logs · 8h

10. 10

    Observability

    Request ids · Structured logs · Healthchecks · 8h

11. 11

    Ship it

    Docker-lite · Backups · Env per stage · 8h

12. 12

    Capstone service

    Review · Load of the happy path · Handoff README · 8h

    Build: Production-shaped API

Tools

Node.js · SQL · Git · HTTP clients · Linux basics for deploy

Prerequisites

Some exposure to programming syntax helps, but the track is open to determined newcomers. You will write code every week.

Instructors

• PR

  Priya Raman

  Backend Lead

Course questions

Which language?

JavaScript/TypeScript on Node — one runtime, fewer moving parts, and a straight path into full stack if you continue.

Do I need cloud experience?

No. We introduce deploy as a discipline in the last third, after the API is correct on your machine.