Learn Backend 0 → Production
Turn from a beginner into an industry-ready engineer. This curriculum connects theory directly to the Bricks you use in the lab.
Backend Fundamentals
1. What is a Backend?BRICK: CRUD BASE
The backend is the brain of your app. While the frontend handles the "Look", the backend handles the "Logic".
2. What is an API?BRICKS: AUTH, CART
An API is a contract. The client makes a request, and the server promises to process it and send a response.
3. HTTP Methods
Databases
4. What is a Database?
Where your data persists. Without a DB, everything resets when you restart the server.
5. Models & Schemas
Defining the shape of your data ensures consistency and performance.
email: String,
verified: Boolean
});
Security
6. Authentication vs Authorization
Bricks: JWT Auth, RBAC
"Who are you?" → Proved by passwords or tokens (JWT).
"What can you do?" → Proved by user roles (Admin, Moderator).
7. Hashing & Tokens
Passwords are never stored as plain text. We hash them using algorithms like bcrypt. JWT tokens allow you to verify identity without storing session data on the server.
Performance
8. Caching (Redis)BRICK: CACHING
Avoid slow database hits for data that doesn't change often. RAM is 100x faster than disk storage.
9. Background Jobs (BullMQ)BRICK: JOBS
Slow tasks like sending emails or processing video shouldn't make the user wait. Move them to a queue.
Stability
10. Rate LimitingBRICK: RATE LIMITER
Protects your server from spam, brute-force attacks, and DDoS. Limits how many requests an IP can make.
11. Error HandlingBRICK: ERROR HANDLER
Never crash your server. Respond gracefully with the correct status code so the frontend knows exactly what went wrong.
Production Ops
12. Env Variables
Secrets like API keys should never be in your code.
13. Logging
Detailed logs help you catch and fix bugs in production.
14. Monitoring
Know instantly if your server goes down or becomes slow.