Introduction To Node.js

Course Description

This course covers the Node.js system for creating server-side applications using JavaScript. It's appropriate for developers who are familiar with JavaScript and want to use Node.js to create high-performance evented applications. In the course, students will get hands-on experience setting up and configuring Node.js applications, understanding the evented architecture provided by Node.js, performing input/output and working with files, Web and network access, database access, unit texting, and more.

Course Outline

• What is Node.js and why should you care
  • Intro to Evented & Asynchronous Programming
  • Versions of Node and how to cope
  • Where to go for help if you get stuck
• Installation and Setup
  • Installing Node (Windows, OSX, Linux)
  • Using the interactive shell
  • Basics of scripting in Node
• JavaScript Review
  • Variables & Data structures
  • Control Flow
  • Functions, Objects, & Prototypes
  • Events & Timers
  • Subtleties & Gotchas
    • Scoping
    • Formatting
  • Style Guide
• Basics of Node.js
  • Intro examples
    • Hello World Script
    • Hello World Server
    • Asynchronous Hello World Server
  • Global and Sys
  • I/O and Files
  • Events
  • Buffers & Streams
  • Child processes: forking, spawning
  • Math & Cryptography
  • Web & Network access (focus primarily on HTTP/HTTPS)
  • Web Crawling and Parsing
  • Web Frameworks: Connect/Express
  • Async Database Drivers
  • Comet/Push Systems with Socket.io
  • Templating Systems
  • Unit tests
• Practical Stuff
  • Basic: Patterns: Project Structure
  • Patterns: Nesting vs Middleware
  • Functional programming vs OOP vs Hybrid
• Creating your own module
  • Basic: Modules & OOP
  • Basic: NPM and module management
• Where to go next?
  • CoffeeScript
  • ncurses
  • Backbone.js integration

Prerequisites

• Basic PC skills and access to a computer (Windows, Macintosh or Linux).
• Basic Web skills.
• Introduction to JavaScript or equivalent experience

Format

Taught online. Instructor-led.

CodeLesson courses are available to students 24 hours a day while the course is in session. That means you can participate in the course even if you have a busy daytime schedule or if you're located in a different time zone.

Courses are comprised of online and offline readings, weekly quizzes, online discussion topics, and hands-on coding exercises that are evaluated by the instructor. You can post questions about the coursework at any time and the instructor will provide guidance. You're never stuck on your own.