This project is a reflection of everything I learned while building a backend from scratch using Node.js, Express.js, TypeScript, and MongoDB.
It was my first deep dive into combining TypeScript with backend development, and I documented all the important concepts I picked up along the way.
- ✅ Understood what Node.js and Express.js are and how they power backend applications.
- ✅ Learned how middlewares work and why they are essential in request/response cycles.
- ✅ Created a server from scratch using Express.
- ✅ Set up and configured TypeScript in a Node.js project.
- ✅ Explored how to create models using Mongoose with TypeScript.
- ✅ Handled CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) issues properly.
- ✅ Got familiar with Postman and how to use it effectively for API testing.
- ✅ Compared Postman vs Thunder Client and understood where each one fits better.
- ✅ Practiced TypeScript basics in a real backend project.
- ✅ Built CRUD APIs (Create, Read, Update, Delete) with Node.js + TypeScript.
- ⚡ Learned about status codes, error handling, and response structures.
- ✅ Fixed common issues like
req.bodybeingundefined.
- Project setup and environment configuration
- Installing and configuring TypeScript
- Understanding request methods and creating endpoints
- Setting up environment variables with
.env - Setting up and using CORS middleware
- Connecting to MongoDB
- Creating models and routes
- Separating logic into controllers
- Designing a custom response interface
- Handling CRUD operations (Add, Get, Update, Delete)
- Debugging API issues with Postman
- Structuring code for scalability