The ultimate guide to becoming a Node.js developer

This is totally logical but still worth mentioning. In order to master Node.js, it is vital to have strong knowledge and powerful theoretical basics in JS. JavaScript is the fundament and walls of Node.js so if you fail to learn something mastering Node.js can be as hard as hell.

Despite the fact that you will be working on the server side of the development, you will have to cooperate and coordinate your work with front-enders. Also, it is crucial to understand how your code and solutions will interact with UI. 

All in all, to make your future job easier and make robust progress you have to learn such basic topics as: 

• HTML + CSS
• HTTPS
• JSON
• cookies
• web servers
• DNS
• npm and alternative package managers

The comprehension of these topics will grow you as a developer and speed up the learning of Node.js as well as make your job easier.

One of the key features of a good Node.js developer is the knowledge and skills in frameworks. We consider Express.js one of the best solutions in this regard. It is easy, flexible, and doesn’t bind you with strict rules in coding and architecture.

The most significant feature of the back-end is the work with databases. As a future Node.js developer, you have to learn them too. The first one to start with is MongoDB. We recommend it because it is rather easy to grasp and use and it doesn’t need a strong knowledge of SQL. When you are ready with it move to PostgreSQL. This is a very famous and popular object-relational system of database management that is used in a majority of projects. So, having it in your skill set is a must.

Docker is an absolute must when you learn Node.js and are eager to be a back-end developer. Using it you may execute one or more containerized processes or applications within one or more virtualized Linux instances thanks to Docker, an abstraction over low-level operating system technologies.

It is highly useful, especially in big projects because of:

• deployment of applications quickly
• movability between machines
• reusing components and version control
• image and dockerfile sharing
• little overhead and a small footprint
• reduced upkeep

Experience in this context refers to paid employment, freelance, or side projects. You have to practice a lot to gain experience and get succeeded.

To our mind, you have to gain experience with:

• Express concepts (routes, how the server works, req/res, locals)
• ORMs (Sequelize, Sails)
• MVC for the web (how models, views, and controllers)
• a templating language (Mustache, Handlebars, EJS)
• current JavaScript language features (promises + async/await, ES6 & 7 syntax)
• a front-end framework (React, Angular, Backbone)
• Modern CSS & HTML
• Some Database experience (MySQL, Mongo, Postgres)

As a rule, most newbies have no clue where to start learning. For that reason, smart people created roadmaps where all the topics necessary to learn are pointed out. In that way, you don’t need to waste time wondering what topic to start and what you should do further because you have a step-by-step scheme. 

Just type in any search engine “Node.js roadmap” and you’ll get a ton of info regarding it. 

In order to become a Node.js developer, you have to apply a lot of effort and go a long path. We hope that with our guide, it would be easier for you to start and build your career in development step-by-step. 

At RIVO AGENCY we strongly believe that you can do everything you can if you’re persistent enough. In case, you need help or looking for advanced Node.js developers, you are free to turn to us. We will help you gladly.