Foundation Skills for Software Developer

Software Developer with Primafelicitas as Software Developer

If you are applying for a position as a Software Developer, it’s advised to master a specific sequence of technologies that make up the MEAN/MERN stack. MEAN stands for MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js, while MERN stands for MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js. If you want to apply for only backend or frontend roles, follow the sections relevant to your knowledge.

Suggested Skill Set

1. Foundational Skills

HTML/CSS: Know the basics of web development by learning HTML for structure and CSS
for styling.
JavaScript: Gain a strong understanding of JavaScript, including ES6+ features, as it’s the core language used in the MEAN/MERN stack.

2. Node.js

Introduction to Node.js: Learn what Node.js is and why it’s used for server-side programming.
npm (Node Package Manager): Understand how to use npm to manage project dependencies
Basic Server Creation: Learn to create a basic server using the http module in Node.js.

3. Express.js

Introduction to Express.js: Learn the fundamentals of Express.js, a web application framework for Node.js.
Routing: Understand how to define routes to handle different HTTP requests.
Middleware: Learn about middleware functions and how to use them in Express.js.
Building APIs: Practice building RESTful APIs with Express.js.

4. MongoDB

Introduction to NoSQL and MongoDB: Understand the basics of NoSQL databases and MongoDB.
CRUD Operations: Learn how to perform Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations.
Mongoose: Use Mongoose, an ODM (Object Data Modeling) library for MongoDB, to model application data.

5. Frontend Technologies

Angular

Introduction to Angular: Learn the basics of Angular, a front-end framework for building single-page applications.
TypeScript: Understand TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript used in Angular development.
Components: Learn about Angular components and how to create them.
Services and Dependency Injection: Understand how to use services and dependency injection in Angular.
Routing: Learn how to implement routing in Angular applications.
Forms: Understand how to work with template-driven and reactive forms in Angular

React.js (For MERN Stack)

Introduction to React.js:Learn the basics of React.js, a front-end library for building user interfaces.
JSX: Understand JSX, the syntax extension for JavaScript used in React.
Components and Props: Learn about React components and how to pass data through props.
State and Lifecycle: Understand state management and lifecycle methods in React.
Hooks: Learn about React Hooks, such as useState and useEffect.
Routing: Implement routing in React applications using React Router.

6. Integration

Connecting Frontend and Backend: Learn how to connect the Angular frontend with the Express.js backend using HTTP requests.
Authentication: Implement user authentication using tools like JWT (JSON Web Tokens).
Full-Stack Application Development: Build a complete full-stack application using all components of the MEAN/MERN stack.

7. Advanced Topics

Testing: Learn how to test your MEAN/MERN stack applications using tools like Jasmine, Karma, and Mocha.
Deployment: Understand how to deploy your MEAN/MERN stack applications on cloud platforms like Heroku, AWS, or DigitalOcean.
Performance Optimization: Learn techniques to optimize the performance of your MEAN/MERN stack applications.

8. Practice and Projects

Build Projects: Apply what you’ve learned by building real-world projects. This could be a to-do app, blog platform, e-commerce site, etc.
Contribute to Open Source: Get involved in open source projects to gain more experience and improve your skills.
Stay Updated: Follow MEAN/MERN stack communities and resources to stay updated with the latest trends and best practices

By building up your skills, you’ll become a proficient MEAN/MERN stack developer.

Resources you must refer

Here are the topics along with recommended resources and books for each:

1. Foundational Skills

HTML/CSS

Books: HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett
Online Resources:
- W3Schools HTML Tutorial
- MDN Web Docs on HTML
- CSS-Tricks

JavaScript

Books:
- JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford
- Eloquent JavaScript by Marijn Haverbeke
Online Resources:
- MDN Web Docs on HTML
- JavaScript.info

2. Node.js

Introduction to Node.js

Books:
- Node.js Design Patterns by Mario Casciaro
- Learning Node.js Development by Andrew Mead
Online Resources:
- Node.js Official Documentation
- NodeSchool

npm (Node Package Manager)

Books:
- Practical Node.js by Azat Mardan
- Learning Node.js Development by Andrew Mead
Online Resources:
- npm Documentation
- Nodesource Guide to npm

3. Express.js

Introduction to Express.js

Books:
- Express in Action by Evan Hahn
Online Resources:
- Express.js Official Documentation
- The Odin Project: Express

Building APIs

Books:
- RESTful Web API Design with Node.js 10 by Valentin Bojinov
Online Resources:
- Building a RESTful API with Express

4. MongoDB

Introduction to NoSQL and MongoDB

Books:
- MongoDB: The Definitive Guide by Kristina Chodorow
Online Resources:
- MongoDB University
- MongoDB Official Documentation

Mongoose

Introduction to NoSQL and MongoDB

Books:
- Mongoose for Application Development by Simon Holmes
Online Resources:
- Mongoose Documentation
- Mongoose Quick Start

5. Frontend technologies

Introduction to Angular(MEAN Stack)

Books:
- Angular Up & Running by Shyam Seshadri
- Pro Angular by Adam Freeman
Online Resources:
- Angular Official Documentation
- Angular University

TypeScript

Books:
- Programming TypeScript by Boris Cherny
Online Resources:
- TypeScript Official Documentation
- TypeScript Deep Dive

React.js (For MERN Stack)

Introduction to React.js

Books:
- Programming TypeScript by Boris Cherny
Online Resources:
- TypeScript Official Documentation
- TypeScript Deep Dive

TypeScript

Books:
- Learning React by Alex Banks and Eve Porcello
- Fullstack React by Anthony Accomazzo, Nathaniel Murray, and Ari Lerner
Online Resources:
- React Official Documentation
- React for Beginners by Wes Bos

JSX

Books:
- React Explained by Zac Gordon
Online Resources:
- React Documentation on JSX

Components and Props

Books:
- React Quickly by Azat Mardan
Online Resources:
- React Documentation on Components and Props

State and Lifecycle

Books:
- The Road to React by Robin Wieruch
Online Resources:
- React Documentation on State and Lifecycle

Hooks

Books:
- React Hooks in Action by John Larsen
Online Resources:
- React Documentation on Hooks

Routing

Books:
- React Router Quick Start Guide by Harmeet Singh and Mehul Bhatt
Online Resources:
- React Router Documentation

6. Integration

Connecting Frontend and Backend

Books:
- Full-Stack React Projects by Shama Hoque (includes MEAN stack projects)
Online Resources:
- Angular and Express Integration

Authentication

Books:
- OAuth 2 in Action by Justin Richer and Antonio Sanso
Online Resources:
- JWT Guide
- Implementing JWT in MEAN/MERN stack

7. Advanced Topics

Testing

Books:
- Testing Angular Applications by Corinna Cohn and Jesse Palmer
- JavaScript Testing Practices and Principles by Alex R. Young
Online Resources:
- Jasmine Documentation
- Mocha Documentation

Deployment

Books:
- Deployment with Docker by Srdjan Grubor
- JavaScript Testing Practices and Principles by Alex R. Young
Online Resources:
- Heroku Documentation
- Deploying MEAN/MERN stack apps

8. Practice and Projects

Build Projects

Books:
- MEAN Web Development by Amos Q. Haviv
Online Resources:
- FreeCodeCamp
- The Odin Project

Contribute to Open Source

Books:
- Forge Your Future with Open Source by VM (Vicky) Brasseur
Online Resources:
- GitHub Guide to Open Source

Stay Updated

Books:
- Learning JavaScript Design Patterns by Addy Osmani (for keeping up with best practices)
Online Resources:
- Hacker News
- Reddit: r/javascript
- Stack Overflow

By following this structured approach and utilizing these resources, you can systematically build your skills to become a proficient MEAN/MERN stack developer.

Exercises to Confirm Your Understanding

Here are some moderately complex exercises for each topic that will help confirm understanding:

1. Foundational Skills

HTML/CSS

Exercise: Create a personal portfolio webpage.
Use HTML to structure the content, including sections like About Me, Projects, and Contact.
Style the page with CSS to make it visually appealing, including responsive design principles to ensure it looks good on different devices.

JavaScript

Exercise: Build a dynamic to-do list application.
Allow users to add, edit, delete, and mark tasks as complete.
Use JavaScript to manipulate the DOM for these actions and store tasks in the browser’s local storage.

2. Node.js

Introduction to Node.js

Exercise: Create a simple command-line tool.
Build a Node.js application that takes user input from the command line to perform a specific task, such as converting text to uppercase, calculating the factorial of a number, or displaying the current date and time.

npm (Node Package Manager)

Exercise: Create and publish a simple npm package.
Develop a small utility function (e.g., a library for basic math operations) and publish it to the npm registry. Ensure to include a proper package.json file and README documentation.

3. Express.js

Introduction to Express.js

Exercise: Build a simple blog API.
Develop a RESTful API using Express.js that allows users to perform CRUD operations on blog posts. Implement routes for creating, reading, updating, and deleting posts, and store the data in an in-memory array or a JSON file.

4. MongoDB

Introduction to NoSQL and MongoDB

Exercise: Develop a task management API.
Use MongoDB to create a backend for managing tasks. Implement CRUD operations for tasks, including fields such as title, description, due date, and status. Use the MongoDB shell or a GUI tool like MongoDB Compass to interact with the database.

Mongoose

Exercise: Enhance the task management API with Mongoose.
Integrate Mongoose into your task management API. Define Mongoose schemas and models for tasks, and use them to perform database operations. Add validation and default values to your schemas.

5. Angular (For MEAN Stack)

Introduction to Angular

Exercise: Build a client-side task management application.
Develop an Angular application to interact with the task management API. Implement components for listing tasks, adding new tasks, editing tasks, and deleting tasks. Use Angular services to make HTTP requests to the API.

TypeScript

Exercise: Refactor the Angular application with TypeScript.
Ensure all Angular components, services, and models are written in
TypeScript. Implement strong typing for data models and functions,
and add type annotations throughout the application.

6. React.js (For MERN Stack)

Introduction to React.js

Exercise: Build a client-side task management application.
Develop a React application to interact with the task management API. Implement components for listing tasks, adding new tasks, editing tasks, and deleting tasks. Use React Hooks and Context API for state management, and make HTTP requests to the API.

TypeScript

Books:
- Learning React by Alex Banks and Eve Porcello
- Fullstack React by Anthony Accomazzo, Nathaniel Murray, and Ari Lerner
Online Resources:
- React Official Documentation
- React for Beginners by Wes Bos

JSX

Exercise: Create a dynamic user interface.
Build a small application using React and JSX to create dynamic, reusable UI components. Implement features like a search bar, list filtering, and interactive buttons.

State and Lifecycle

Exercise: Develop a countdown timer.
Create a countdown timer application in React that uses state and lifecycle methods to update the timer and handle user interactions like starting, pausing, and resetting the timer.

Hooks

Exercise: Implement a dark mode toggle.
Add a dark mode toggle feature to a React application using React
Hooks. Use useState for managing the theme state and useEffect for
applying the theme changes to the DOM.

7. Integration

Connecting Frontend and Backend

Exercise: Connect the Angular/React application to the Express API.
Set up your Angular/React application to communicate with the Express API you built. Implement features such as displaying tasks from the backend, adding new tasks through the frontend, and updating the task list dynamically.

Authentication

Exercise: Implement user authentication.
Add user authentication to your task management application.
Implement signup, login, and logout functionality using JWT. Secure
routes in the Express API and restrict access based on user
authentication status.

7. Advanced Topics

Testing

Exercise: Write unit and integration tests.
Write unit tests for your Angular/React components and services using
Jasmine/Karma for Angular or Jest/React Testing Library for React.
Write integration tests for your Express API using a testing framework
like Mocha or Jest. Ensure to cover both frontend and backend
functionalities.

Deployment

Exercise: Deploy the full-stack application.
Deploy your MEAN/MERN stack application to a cloud platform like
Heroku, AWS, or DigitalOcean. Set up environment variables,
configure a production build for Angular/React, and ensure that the
backend and frontend communicate correctly in the deployed
environment.

9. Practice and Projects

Build Projects

Exercise: Develop a full-fledged project.
Choose a project idea that interests you (e.g., an e-commerce site, a
social media platform, or a project management tool) and build it using
the MEAN/MERN stack. Implement user authentication, CRUD
operations, data validation, and responsive design.

Contribute to Open Source

Exercise: Contribute to an existing open-source project.

By completing these exercises, you’ll gain hands-on experience and reinforce your understanding of each topic, moving closer to becoming a proficient MEAN stack developer.