Complete Node.js Learning Roadmap: From Beginner to Advanced Step by Step| NodeJS | Web Development

Complete Node.js Learning Roadmap: From Beginner to Advanced

Here’s a structured and comprehensive list of topics to learn Node.js, sequenced logically to help you progress from the basics to mastering advanced concepts.

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1. Prerequisites (Before Learning Node.js)

• Basic understanding of JavaScript:
• Variables, Data Types, and Operators
• Functions and Scope
• Objects and Arrays
• Asynchronous JavaScript (Callbacks, Promises, async/await)
• ES6+ Features (e.g., Arrow Functions, Destructuring, Modules)
• Basic understanding of HTTP protocol and RESTful APIs.
• Knowledge of HTML and CSS (Optional but helpful for full-stack development).

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2. Introduction to Node.js

• What is Node.js?
• Why use Node.js?
• Node.js Architecture:
• Single-threaded Event Loop
• Non-blocking I/O
• Setting up Node.js on your system.
• Running your first Node.js script.

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3. Node.js Basics

• The REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop).
• Global objects in Node.js:
• __dirname and __filename
• setTimeout(), setInterval(), clearTimeout(), clearInterval()
• Using the built-in console object.
• Understanding CommonJS module system:
• require() and module.exports.
• The Event-Driven Model.
• The Event Emitter module.

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4. Core Modules in Node.js

• File System (fs):
• Reading and Writing Files
• File Streaming
• Working with Directories
• Path (path):
• Resolving file paths.
• Joining and normalizing paths.
• HTTP (http):
• Creating HTTP servers.
• Handling requests and responses.
• OS (os):
• Fetching system information.
• Working with CPU and memory details.
• URL (url):
• Parsing and formatting URLs.
• Query String (querystring):
• Parsing and stringifying query strings.
• Crypto (crypto):
• Hashing and encryption basics.
• Streams:
• What are streams?
• Reading and Writing Streams.
• Stream piping and chaining.

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5. Package Management with npm and Yarn

• What is npm (Node Package Manager)?
• Installing, updating, and uninstalling packages.
• Understanding package.json and package-lock.json.
• Global vs Local packages.
• Using popular npm packages:
• lodash
• chalk
• dotenv, etc.

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6. Asynchronous Programming in Node.js

• Callbacks in Node.js.
• Promises and Promise API.
• async/await syntax.
• Handling asynchronous errors with try...catch.
• The util.promisify() function.

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7. Building HTTP Servers

• Creating basic HTTP servers with http module.
• Handling routes manually.
• Understanding request and response objects.
• Serving static files.
• Using the https module for secure connections.

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8. Express.js Framework

• Setting up an Express application.
• Middleware in Express:
• Built-in middleware (e.g., express.json, express.static).
• Third-party middleware (e.g., morgan, body-parser).
• Custom middleware.
• Routing:
• Defining routes (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).
• Route parameters and query strings.
• Using routers for modular route handling.
• Error handling middleware.
• Templating engines (e.g., EJS, Handlebars).

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9. Database Integration

• Connecting Node.js to databases:
• SQL Databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL):
  • Using mysql2 or sequelize library.
  • CRUD operations.
• NoSQL Databases (MongoDB):
  • Using mongoose for MongoDB.
  • Schema design and validation.
  • CRUD operations.

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10. APIs in Node.js

• Building RESTful APIs with Express.
• CRUD operations in APIs.
• Validating user input (e.g., using Joi or express-validator).
• Authentication and Authorization:
• Using JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for token-based authentication.
• Role-based access control.
• Versioning APIs.

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11. Advanced Concepts

• File Uploads:
• Using multer for handling file uploads.
• WebSockets:
• Real-time communication using Socket.IO.
• Building chat applications.
• Worker Threads:
• Multithreading in Node.js.
• Child Processes:
• Spawning and managing child processes.
• Cluster Module:
• Scaling Node.js applications.

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12. Debugging and Testing

• Debugging Node.js applications with:
• console.log().
• Built-in debugger (node inspect).
• Writing unit tests:
• Using Mocha or Jest.
• Mocking with Sinon.
• Writing integration tests.

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13. Deployment

• Setting up a production environment.
• Deploying Node.js apps to:
• Heroku
• AWS
• DigitalOcean
• Vercel, etc.
• Using process managers like PM2.
• Environment variables and .env files.

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14. Security in Node.js

• Common security concerns:
• Preventing SQL Injection.
• Protecting against XSS and CSRF attacks.
• Secure handling of sensitive data.
• Using helmet and cors modules.
• Rate limiting and request validation.

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15. Performance Optimization

• Caching with Redis or Memcached.
• Load balancing and clustering.
• Profiling and monitoring performance with tools like clinic.js.

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16. Building Full-Stack Applications

• Integrating Node.js with front-end frameworks:
• React
• Angular
• Vue
• Building real-time applications (e.g., chat apps, collaboration tools).

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17. Understanding Node.js Internals

• The V8 engine.
• Event loop deep dive.
• Understanding libuv library.

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18. Real-World Projects

• Build the following projects to consolidate learning:

1. A to-do list API.
2. A real-time chat application.
3. An e-commerce platform with user authentication.
4. A blogging platform with RESTful API.
5. A task scheduler using worker threads.

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Final Notes

This roadmap covers all major areas you need to master Node.js. Tackle these topics step-by-step, focusing on building practical projects at every stage to reinforce your learning.