Backend Developer Internship Roadmap (Node.js Focused)

Introduction

Welcome to the Backend Developer Internship Program! This 12-week plan is designed to equip you with fundamental and intermediate skills in backend development using Node.js, Express, and databases. Each week includes objectives, recommended learning resources, and practical exercises.

Table of Contents

1. Week 1-2: Introduction to Backend Development & JavaScript Basics
2. Week 3-4: Getting Started with Node.js & Express
3. Week 5-6: Working with Databases
4. Week 7-8: API Development
5. Week 9-10: Authentication & Security
6. Week 11: Testing & Debugging
7. Week 12: Project Deployment & Final Assessment

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Week 1-2: Introduction to Backend Development & JavaScript Basics

Objectives

• Understand the basics of backend development.
• Learn JavaScript fundamentals, including ES6+ features.

Resources

• MDN Web Docs: JavaScript
• JavaScript.info

Practical Exercises

• Build a simple JavaScript application (e.g., a To-Do List).

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Week 3-4: Getting Started with Node.js & Express

Objectives

• Learn the basics of Node.js and how to set up a Node.js environment.
• Understand how to create a web server using Express.

Resources

• Node.js Official Documentation
• Express.js Documentation

Practical Exercises

• Create a simple Express server that responds with "Hello World!" on the root route.

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Week 5-6: Working with Databases

Objectives

• Understand relational and non-relational databases.
• Learn how to use MongoDB with Node.js.

Resources

• MongoDB University
• Mongoose Documentation

Practical Exercises

• Create a RESTful API to perform CRUD operations on a MongoDB collection.

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Week 7-8: API Development

Objectives

• Learn about RESTful API design principles.
• Understand how to implement API endpoints in Express.

Resources

• REST API Tutorial
• Postman Documentation

Practical Exercises

• Build a RESTful API for a Bookstore with endpoints to manage books.

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Week 9-10: Authentication & Security

Objectives

• Learn about user authentication and authorization.
• Understand common security practices in backend development.

Resources

• JWT.io
• OWASP Top Ten Security Risks

Practical Exercises

• Implement user registration and login using JWT for authentication.

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Week 11: Testing & Debugging

Objectives

• Understand the importance of testing in software development.
• Learn how to write unit tests and integration tests.

Resources

• Mocha Documentation
• Chai Documentation

Practical Exercises

• Write tests for the Bookstore API developed in previous weeks.

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Week 12: Project Deployment & Final Assessment

Objectives

• Learn how to deploy a Node.js application to a cloud platform (e.g., Heroku, AWS).
• Complete a final assessment project.

Resources

• Heroku Documentation
• AWS Getting Started

Practical Exercises

• Deploy the Bookstore API to Heroku or AWS and present the final project.

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Conclusion

Congratulations on completing the Backend Developer Internship! You now have a solid foundation in Node.js and backend development. Continue building your skills by working on real-world projects and exploring advanced topics.