Real Backends with Node.js

Node.js backend development and production Node.js applications are essential skills for modern web developers. This hands-on guide takes you from beginner to pro, covering modules, async patterns, Express, databases, and code that scales. Unlike Jon Duckett (Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery Set) or Laurence Svekis (JavaScript from Beginner to Professional), this book focuses exclusively on real-world backend engineering. You'll build a complete production backend, learning to structure code for maintainability and performance. Master async/await, Express middleware, database integration, and deployment. Perfect for developers ready to move beyond front-end and build robust server-side applications with Node.js.

What You'll Learn

• Set up a Node.js development environment
• Master modules, npm, and package management
• Implement async patterns with callbacks, promises, and async/await
• Build RESTful APIs with Express
• Integrate databases (MongoDB, PostgreSQL)
• Structure code for scalability and maintainability
• Handle authentication, error handling, and logging
• Deploy to production with confidence

This practical book includes real-world examples and exercises. By the end, you'll have a production-ready backend application. If you're ready to level up your Node.js skills and build backends that scale, this book is for you.

This hands-on JavaScript/Web guide is written to be used at the keyboard: every concept is paired with something you can run, adapt, and keep. You move from first principles to real, working results, with the common errors and fixes called out along the way so you are never stuck for long.