1. Programming Languages
- JavaScript/Node.js:
- Asynchronous programming, event-driven architecture, and understanding the Node.js runtime.
- Python:
- Learn Python basics, followed by frameworks like Django or Flask.
- Java:
- Understanding Java syntax and principles, Spring Boot for building microservices.
- Other Languages:
- Ruby (Ruby on Rails), Go (for performance-critical applications), or C# (ASP.NET).
2. Version Control
- Git:
- Master Git commands, branching, merging, and resolving conflicts.
- Use GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket for collaboration and version control.
3. Databases
- SQL Databases:
- PostgreSQL: Advanced SQL queries, indexing, and optimization.
- MySQL/MariaDB: Learn relational database design and normalization.
- NoSQL Databases:
- MongoDB: Document-based database, CRUD operations, and indexing.
- Redis: In-memory data structure store, caching strategies.
- ORMs:
- Use Object-Relational Mappers like Sequelize (Node.js), Prisma (Node.js), or Mongoose (MongoDB) to interact with databases.
4. API Development
- RESTful APIs:
- Design RESTful services, manage routes, and handle HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).
- Middleware, authentication, and error handling.
- GraphQL:
- Understand schemas, queries, mutations, and subscriptions.
- Use tools like Apollo Server to implement GraphQL APIs.
- gRPC:
- Learn gRPC for efficient, cross-language RPC communication.
5. Server & Hosting
- Web Servers:
- Express.js (Node.js), Django (Python), Spring Boot (Java) for serving web applications.
- Understand server configurations, security, and middleware usage.
- Containerization:
- Docker: Learn to create, manage, and deploy containers.
- Docker Compose for multi-container applications.
- Server Management:
- Nginx/Apache: Setting up and managing web servers, load balancing, reverse proxy.
- Cloud Providers:
- AWS (EC2, S3, RDS), Azure, or Google Cloud for deploying applications.
- Learn how to use cloud services like Lambda (serverless functions), S3 (storage), and RDS (databases).
6. Authentication & Authorization
- OAuth2 & OpenID Connect:
- Implement social logins and third-party authentication.
- JWT (JSON Web Tokens):
- Stateless authentication with JWTs for API security.
- Session Management:
- Understand session cookies, token storage, and session expiration.
7. Testing & Debugging
- Unit Testing:
- Jest, Mocha, JUnit: Writing and running unit tests.
- Integration Testing:
- Test interaction between different parts of your application.
- End-to-End Testing:
- Use tools like Cypress or Selenium for full application testing.
- Debugging:
- Master debugging techniques using tools like Chrome DevTools, VSCode, or Postman.
8. DevOps & CI/CD
- Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD):
- Set up pipelines with Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI.
- Container Orchestration:
- Kubernetes: Manage, deploy, and scale containerized applications.
- Infrastructure as Code:
- Use Terraform or AWS CloudFormation for managing infrastructure.
9. Security Best Practices
- Security Fundamentals:
- Understand the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection, XSS).
- Implement HTTPS, secure headers, and rate limiting.
- Data Encryption:
- Learn about encryption techniques (AES, RSA) for securing sensitive data.
- Authentication/Authorization:
- Secure user data and manage permissions.
10. Performance Optimization
- Caching Strategies:
- Implement caching with Redis or Memcached.
- Understand different caching levels (application, database, CDN).
- Database Optimization:
- Optimize SQL queries, indexing, and database normalization.
- Load Balancing:
- Distribute traffic across multiple servers using tools like Nginx or HAProxy.