Backend development

Steps

HTTP and the server side

1. 1 HTTP in depthStudy requests, responses, headers, cookies and connection behaviour, since every backend decision ultimately travels over HTTP.

   • High Performance Browser Networking hpbn.cofree

     Free online book by Ilya Grigorik detailing TCP, UDP, TLS, HTTP/2, and modern networking protocols vital for backend performance.

   • MDN Set-Cookie Reference developer.mozilla.orgfree

     Reference page on the HTTP Set-Cookie header describing its attributes such as SameSite, Secure and HttpOnly, for web developers managing sessions.

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2. 2 A first web frameworkBuild a small application with routing, templates and middleware in one mainstream framework to learn the request lifecycle.

   • MDN Express and Node.js Tutorial developer.mozilla.orgfree

     Comprehensive tutorial by Mozilla covering server-side programming concepts using Node.js and the Express framework.

   • Node.js nodejs.orgfree

     Open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment executing JavaScript code outside a web browser.

   • Django djangoproject.comfree

     High-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design.

   • FastAPI fastapi.tiangolo.comfree

     Modern, high-performance web framework for building APIs with Python based on standard type hints.

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3. 3 Other server ecosystems (optional)Compare how enterprise stacks in Java and .NET structure the same concepts, useful when joining larger organisations.

   • Spring Framework spring.iofree

     Comprehensive programming and configuration model for modern Java-based enterprise backend applications.

   • ASP.NET Core Fundamentals learn.microsoft.comfree

     Official Microsoft documentation covering the core concepts of ASP.NET Core apps, including dependency injection, configuration, middleware, hosting and logging, for .NET web developers.

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Working with data

1. 4 Relational databases and SQLModel data in tables, write SQL queries and use transactions, the default storage choice for most backends.

   • PostgreSQL postgresql.orgfree

     A powerful, open-source object-relational database management system with a proven architecture for reliability and data integrity.

   • SQLite sqlite.orgfree

     A small, fast, self-contained, high-reliability C-language library implementing a full SQL database engine.

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2. 5 Indexes and query performanceLearn how indexes work and how to read query plans, the most common fix for slow endpoints.

   • Use The Index, Luke! use-the-index-luke.comfree

     A developer-oriented guide by Markus Winand explaining database indexing mechanics and SQL performance tuning.

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3. 6 Schema migrationsVersion database changes alongside code so every environment evolves safely and deployments stay repeatable.

   • Flyway flywaydb.orgfreemium

     Open-source database migration tool strongly favoring simplicity and convention over configuration in version control.

   • Liquibase liquibase.comfreemium

     Open-source database schema change management tool that automates database migrations within CI/CD pipelines.

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4. 7 Document and key-value stores (optional)Understand when document databases or in-memory stores fit better than relational tables, and what you give up.

   • MongoDB Manual mongodb.comfree

     Official documentation for the MongoDB document database, covering installation, data modelling, queries, indexing, replication and sharding for developers and administrators.

   • Redis redis.iofree

     An open-source, in-memory data structure store used as a distributed database, cache, message broker, and vector store.

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Designing APIs

1. 8 HTTP API designDesign consistent resources, validate payloads with schemas and plan versioning so clients can rely on your API.

   • JSON Schema json-schema.orgfree

     Home of the JSON Schema specification, with documentation, learning material and tool listings for developers who validate and describe JSON data structures.

   • Pragmatic API Versioning fly.iofree

     Archived article discussing practical strategies for versioning web APIs, including trade-offs between URL, header and date-based approaches, for backend and API developers.

   • Postman postman.comfreemium

     An API development and automated testing platform for designing, mocking, debugging, and monitoring HTTP endpoints.

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2. 9 RPC with gRPC (optional)Explore contract-first remote procedure calls with Protocol Buffers, common for efficient service-to-service communication.

   • gRPC grpc.iofree

     Open source remote procedure call framework that uses Protocol Buffers and HTTP/2 to connect services across languages, widely used in microservice architectures.

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3. 10 Configuration and secretsKeep configuration in the environment and out of code, following principles that make services portable and safe to deploy.

   • The Twelve-Factor App 12factor.netfree

     A foundational methodology and best-practice guide for building scalable, maintainable cloud-native software applications.

   • dotenv github.comfree

     Widely used Node.js module that loads environment variables from a .env file into process.env, keeping configuration separate from application code.

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Scaling and architecture

1. 11 Caching and messagingReduce load with caches and decouple services with event streams, two core tools for handling growth.

   • Redis redis.iofree

     An open-source, in-memory data structure store used as a distributed database, cache, message broker, and vector store.

   • Apache Kafka kafka.apache.orgfree

     A distributed event streaming platform used for high-performance data pipelines, streaming analytics, and data integration.

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2. 12 Data-intensive systemsLearn the trade-offs of replication, partitioning and consistency, and study how real companies scaled their backends.

   • Designing Data-Intensive Applications dataintensive.netpaid

     An authoritative guide by Martin Kleppmann exploring principles of distributed databases, stream processing, and storage systems.

   • High Scalability highscalability.comfree

     Publication analyzing real-world backend architectures, scalability strategies, and system designs of top tech companies.

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3. 13 Architecture and maintainabilityApply design patterns and architectural thinking so the codebase stays understandable and changeable as it grows.

   • Martin Fowler's Bliki martinfowler.comfree

     An influential software engineering blog providing in-depth analysis of programming practices, testing, and agile principles.

   • Refactoring.Guru refactoring.gurufree

     An educational guide clearly explaining software design patterns, code smells, and refactoring techniques with diagrams and examples.

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