Index (Home)
Welcome to your backend reference—built to reference course patterns and teach how they fit together. Use the Guide sidebar for orientation, then pick a theme tab above. Each topic includes a Learn section, a course code example, up to four supplementary snippets, and curated external docs.
Node / Express
Node and Express are the runtime and HTTP framework for your API. Topics here cover bootstrapping the app, parsing JSON bodies, and structured logging—everything that runs before a route handler executes. Master this layer first so later routers and controllers plug into a consistent foundation.
Server Architecture / Routes
Well-structured backends separate concerns: routers define URLs, controllers translate HTTP to application calls, services own data access, and middleware handles cross-cutting behavior (validation, 404, errors). Study these patterns to keep files small, testable, and aligned with REST conventions.
SQL / Knex
Data persistence uses PostgreSQL. Raw SQL builds fluency for interviews and debugging; Knex adds migrations, seeds, and a query builder your Express services call. Learn both: SQL shows what the database actually runs; Knex shows how the app stays maintainable.
Misc / Other
Capstone topics from the end of the program: how to set up a full-stack backend project, work with npm and Git, test APIs with Postman or curl, apply layering and REST habits, and prepare for deployment and the mock interview. These patterns tie Express, SQL, and deployment lessons into day-to-day engineering practice.