AI FearFilter — Filter Fear. Trust Facts.
AI FearFilter
Back to All Courses
💻 Software EngineeringBeginner LevelEvidence-Based Skill Profile

Hands-on Mastery in Node.js Backend Development

Master event-driven architecture, libuv asynchronous I/O, Express routing pipelines, Zod data contracts, and PostgreSQL Prisma ORM with an interactive Socratic AI coach.

12 Modules • 5 Production Projects
12 Modules
AI FearFilter Faculty

What You Will Learn

Master the single-threaded event loop, libuv thread pool, and non-blocking asynchronous execution.
Work with the Node.js runtime and filesystem using streams, buffers, and event emitters for high throughput.
Architect robust, modular Express applications with composable middleware pipelines and centralized error handlers.
Enforce rigorous request validation, runtime schema guarantees, and data contracts using Zod.
Model and query relational databases with PostgreSQL and Prisma ORM, implementing transactional safety.
Implement defense-in-depth backend security with bcrypt password hashing, JWT authentication, and RBAC authorization.
Hardening APIs with security best practices including Helmet headers, CORS policies, and token bucket rate limiters.
Complete 5 production portfolio projects and pass the comprehensive Module 12 Capstone Challenge evaluated by the AI Agent.

Curriculum & Weekly Roadmap

12 Structured Modules

Module 1 — Introduction to Node.js & Runtime Architecture

  • 1.1 What is Node.js & Server-Side JavaScript
  • 1.2 Node.js Architecture: V8 Engine & libuv Integration
  • 1.3 Single-Threaded Event Loop & Non-Blocking I/O
  • 1.4 Setting Up Node.js & Tooling (nvm, node, npm)
  • 1.5 Creating Your First Node.js Script & Execution Model

Module 2 — Modules, Packages & Project Configuration

  • 2.1 Module Systems: CommonJS vs ES Modules
  • 2.2 package.json, Dependencies & Semantic Versioning
  • 2.3 Node.js Built-in Core Modules Overview
  • 2.4 Path & URL Resolution Mechanics
  • 2.5 Environment Configuration (.env, process.env)

Module 3 — Asynchronous Programming & Node.js Core APIS

  • 3.1 Asynchronous Patterns: Callbacks, Promises, async/await
  • 3.2 Error-First Callbacks & Converting to Promises
  • 3.3 The fs Module: Sync vs Async File Operations
  • 3.4 fs/promises: Modern Clean Filesystem Handling
  • 3.5 Process & OS Modules for System Inspection

Module 4 — Event Emitters, Streams & Buffers

  • 4.1 Event-Driven Architecture & The EventEmitter Class
  • 4.2 Custom Event Emission & Multi-Listener Patterns
  • 4.3 Buffers & Binary Data Handling in Memory
  • 4.4 Node.js Streams: Readable, Writable & Transform
  • 4.5 Stream Piping, Backpressure & Memory Efficiency

Module 5 — Networking & The HTTP Module

  • 5.1 HTTP Protocol Foundations & Client-Server Lifecycle
  • 5.2 Creating an HTTP Server with http.createServer
  • 5.3 Request & Response Objects (Headers, Body, Status Codes)
  • 5.4 Manual URL Parsing & Basic Request Routing
  • 5.5 Handling POST Data & Streaming Payloads Manually

Module 6 — Express.js Foundations & Routing

  • 6.1 Why Express? Framework Advantages & Minimalist Core
  • 6.2 Creating an Express App & Defining Route Endpoints
  • 6.3 Route Methods, Path Patterns & URL Parameter Extraction
  • 6.4 Query Strings & JSON Request Body Parsing
  • 6.5 Modular Routing Architecture with express.Router

Module 7 — Express Middleware Architecture

  • 7.1 Middleware Mental Model: Pipeline & next() Execution
  • 7.2 Built-in Middleware (express.json, express.urlencoded)
  • 7.3 Custom Request Logging & Timing Middleware
  • 7.4 Route-Level & Router-Level Middleware Application
  • 7.5 Centralized Error-Handling Middleware (4 Parameters)

Module 8 — RESTful API Design & Best Practices

  • 8.1 REST Architectural Constraints & Resource Modeling
  • 8.2 Standard HTTP Methods & Idempotency Rules
  • 8.3 HTTP Status Codes & Structured Error Responses
  • 8.4 Pagination, Filtering & Field Selection Patterns
  • 8.5 API Versioning & Documentation with OpenAPI/Swagger

Module 9 — Request Validation & Data Handling with Zod

  • 9.1 Why Validation Matters & Security Implications
  • 9.2 Introduction to Zod Schema Definition & Primitives
  • 9.3 Parsing, SafeParse & Custom Validation Refinements
  • 9.4 Creating an Express Validation Middleware Factory
  • 9.5 Sanitizing Request Input & Preventing Injection Attacks

Module 10 — Relational Databases & Prisma ORM

  • 10.1 Database Fundamentals: Relational vs Document Stores
  • 10.2 Connecting Node.js to PostgreSQL & Connection Pooling
  • 10.3 Introduction to Prisma ORM & Schema Definition
  • 10.4 Prisma Migrations & Client Generation
  • 10.5 CRUD Operations, Relational Queries & Transactions

Module 11 — Authentication, Authorization & Security

  • 11.1 Authentication vs Authorization & Security Principles
  • 11.2 Password Hashing with bcrypt & Salt Rounds
  • 11.3 JSON Web Tokens (JWT): Sign, Verify & Token Structure
  • 11.4 Implementing JWT Authentication Guard Middleware
  • 11.5 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) & Security Hardening

Module 12 — Production Readiness, Microservices & Capstone

  • 12.1 Environment Configuration & Secrets Management in Production
  • 12.2 Logging & Structured Telemetry (Pino / Winston)
  • 12.3 Process Management with PM2 & Cluster Mode
  • 12.4 Containerization with Docker & Multi-Stage Builds
  • 12.5 Module 12 Capstone Challenge: Enterprise Multi-Tenant API Hub

Who This Course Is For

Aspiring Backend Engineers, Full-Stack Developers, Node.js Developers, Computer Science Students, and API Builders aiming to master server runtime architecture, middleware design, data validation, relational persistence, and production security from scratch.

Key Skills Developed:

Node.js Architecture & libuv Event Loop MechanicsCommonJS vs ES Modules & Core Modules (fs, path, events)Node.js Streams, Buffers & File Pipeline PerformanceNetworking Fundamentals (HTTP, TCP, Sockets & Event Emitters)Express.js Architecture, Application & Router LifecycleComposable Middleware Pipelines, Request Context & Error GuardsRESTful API Design Patterns, Status Codes & Content NegotiationRequest Validation, Sanitization & Data Contracts with ZodRelational Persistence, PostgreSQL & Prisma ORM ModelingBackend Authentication, Password Hashing, JWT & RBAC MiddlewareSecurity Hardening (Helmet, CORS, Rate Limiting & Input Cleansing)Multi-Tenant REST API & Microservice Hub Capstone Challenge

Course Faculty & Development

AI FearFilter Faculty

Backend & Distributed Systems Team

AI FearFilter Academy

AI FearFilter — Filter Fear. Trust Facts.
Engineering CurriculumAI FearFilter Academy
100% FREEFree For All Students
Login to Start Learning FreeView in My Learning
100% Self-Paced + Active Hands-on Learning
Evidence-Based Demonstrated Skill Profile
Full Lifetime Access in Student Home
FILTER FEAR. TRUST FACTS.