Node.js and Express Backend Development
REST APIs, databases, auth and deployment with Node.
Taught by Sagar Khadka · Full-Stack Developer
What you'll learn
- Explain how the Node.js event loop handles concurrent requests and avoid blocking it
- Build a RESTful API with Express 5 routers, middleware and consistent JSON responses
- Validate request input with Zod and return clear errors from a central error handler
- Store and query data in PostgreSQL safely using parameterised queries and migrations
- Secure endpoints with Argon2-hashed passwords, JSON Web Tokens and role checks
- Test an API with Supertest and deploy it in a Docker container with production settings
About this course
Learn to build the backend that powers real web and mobile apps. This Node.js and Express course is for JavaScript developers who can already write functions, arrays and promises and now want to own the server side. You will start with how Node.js actually runs your code, including the event loop and non-blocking I/O, then build a REST API with Express 5: routing, middleware, input validation with Zod and centralised error handling. From there you will connect PostgreSQL with parameterised queries and migrations, add authentication with Argon2 password hashing and JSON Web Tokens, write integration tests with Supertest and the built-in Node test runner, and finally prepare the API for production with environment configuration, structured logging, security headers and a Docker image. By the end you will have a tested, deployable task-tracking API and the judgement to design your next backend with confidence.
Course content
7 lessons- 1How Node.js Works: The Event Loop, Modules and npmWhat makes Node.js fast for I/O-heavy servers, and how to set up a modern project.Preview
- 2Express 5 Routing: Requests, Responses and ResourcesBuild a REST API with Express routers, route parameters and consistent JSON responses.
- 3Middleware, Validation and Error HandlingCompose request pipelines, reject bad input with Zod and handle every error in one place.
- 4Persisting Data with PostgreSQLConnect to PostgreSQL with a connection pool, write safe parameterised queries and manage migrations.
- 5Authentication with Hashed Passwords and JWTsRegister and log in users safely, issue short-lived tokens and protect routes by role.
- 6Testing Your API with Supertest and node:testWrite fast integration tests that exercise real routes, a real database and error paths.
- 7Production-Ready DeploymentConfigure, harden, log and containerise your API, then ship it to a cloud platform.