Beginner Backend Engineering Roadmap

Learn

• Introduction to Programming & Python
• Variables, Data Types (Integers, Floats, Strings, Booleans)
• Operators (Arithmetic, Comparison, Logical)
• Control Flow (if/elif/else statements, for/while loops)
• Functions: Definition, Parameters, Return Values
• Basic Input/Output

Practice & build

• Write Python scripts for basic calculations (e.g., a tip calculator)
• Implement a 'Guess the Number' game
• Create functions for common tasks (e.g., checking if a number is prime)

Learn

• Lists: Manipulation, Comprehensions
• Tuples, Dictionaries, Sets: Usage and Operations
• Error Handling (try-except blocks)
• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) Introduction: Classes, Objects, Attributes, Methods
• Modules and Packages: Organizing Code
• File I/O (Reading and Writing Files)

Practice & build

• Build a simple contact manager using dictionaries
• Implement a basic class (e.g., a 'Book' class with attributes like title, author)
• Create a script that reads data from a CSV file and processes it

Learn

• The Client-Server Model
• Introduction to the Internet, World Wide Web, and Browsers
• HTTP Protocol: Requests, Responses, Methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
• HTTP Status Codes (2xx, 4xx, 5xx)
• Headers and URLs
• Introduction to APIs: What they are and why they're used

Practice & build

• Use browser developer tools to inspect HTTP requests and responses
• Interact with public APIs (e.g., GitHub API, OpenWeatherMap) using tools like Postman or 'curl'
• Describe the journey of a request from a browser to a server and back

Learn

• What is a Database? Relational vs. Non-Relational (brief overview)
• Introduction to SQL (Structured Query Language)
• Database Schema Design: Tables, Columns, Data Types
• Primary Keys and Foreign Keys
• CRUD Operations with SQL: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE
• Setting up and using SQLite

Practice & build

• Design a simple database schema for a blog or e-commerce site
• Create an SQLite database and tables
• Practice inserting, updating, deleting, and querying data using SQL commands

Learn

• What is a Web Framework? (MVC/MTV pattern overview)
• Introduction to Flask: Installation, App Structure
• Routes and View Functions
• Jinja2 Templating Engine: Rendering HTML, Passing Data
• Handling HTTP Requests and Form Submissions
• Static Files (CSS, JS)

Practice & build

• Create a 'Hello World' Flask application
• Build a simple webpage that displays dynamic data using templates
• Develop a basic web application that handles form submissions (e.g., a simple feedback form)

Learn

• RESTful API Design Principles
• JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): Serialization and Deserialization
• Integrating Flask with a Database (e.g., SQLAlchemy for ORM)
• Implementing API Endpoints for CRUD Operations
• Handling Request Bodies and Query Parameters
• Response Formatting and Error Handling in APIs

Practice & build

• Build a RESTful API for a simple resource (e.g., a 'Books' API with endpoints for GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
• Use Postman or similar tools to test API endpoints thoroughly
• Connect the Flask application to an SQLite database using SQLAlchemy

Learn

• User Registration and Login Flows
• Password Hashing (e.g., using `werkzeug.security`)
• Session-Based Authentication vs. Token-Based Authentication (JWT introduction)
• Implementing JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for API Security
• Protecting Routes with Authentication Middleware/Decorators
• Basic Authorization Concepts (Roles, Permissions)

Practice & build

• Add user registration and login functionality to your existing API
• Implement password hashing for secure storage of user credentials
• Secure specific API endpoints using JWT authentication, requiring a valid token for access

Learn

• Environment Variables for Configuration
• Containerization Introduction (Docker Basics)
• Deploying Flask Applications (e.g., to Heroku, or basic AWS EC2 setup)
• Introduction to Web Servers (Gunicorn) and Reverse Proxies (Nginx)
• Caching Concepts (e.g., using Redis for simple data caching)
• Logging and Monitoring Basics

Practice & build

• Containerize your Flask API using Docker
• Deploy your API to a free tier cloud platform (e.g., Heroku)
• Implement basic application logging
• Explore basic caching for frequently accessed data