🎓 Program Overview
The JavaScript ecosystem is the dominant force in modern full-stack web development — but most developers and bootcamps still teach the outdated MERN pattern (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) which no longer reflects how professional teams build software in 2026. This program replaces that with a production-grade, enterprise-standard stack: TypeScript throughout, PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM, and Next.js 15 App Router instead of a separate Create React App.
You will build a complete, real-world full-stack application from database schema and API design through to a deployed, production-ready system on AWS — covering every layer of modern JavaScript development with clean architecture, proper testing, and CI/CD automation throughout.
💡 Why This Stack in 2026
The Node.js ecosystem has matured dramatically. TypeScript is now the industry standard — not optional. PostgreSQL has overtaken MongoDB as the preferred database for full-stack JavaScript projects. Next.js 15 has replaced separate React setups. Prisma ORM has become the most productive and type-safe database layer for Node.js. This program teaches the stack as it is actually used by modern engineering teams today:
| Layer | Old MERN Pattern |
|---|---|
| Language | JavaScript (untyped) → TypeScript everywhere |
| Database | MongoDB → PostgreSQL (Prisma ORM) |
| Frontend | Create React App (deprecated) → Next.js 15 App Router |
| API Design | Untyped REST endpoints → Typed REST + optional GraphQL (Pothos) |
| Auth | Passport.js (complex config) → JWT + refresh tokens + NextAuth v5 |
| Validation | Manual / Joi → Zod with full type inference |
| Testing | Optional / skipped → Vitest + Supertest + Playwright |
| Deployment | Heroku (discontinued) → AWS EC2 + Docker + GitHub Actions |
📚 Curriculum — Phase Breakdown
Before writing a line of code, you will design the full system — database schema, API contracts, component architecture, and deployment strategy. Professional engineers design first; this program teaches that discipline from the start.
- Defining the real-world project: requirements, user stories, and domain model
- Database schema design — PostgreSQL tables, relationships, indexes, and migrations strategy
- REST API contract design — endpoints, request/response types, auth strategy, error handling patterns
- Folder and module architecture for a scalable Node.js / Express TypeScript project
- Development environment setup: Node.js, pnpm / npm workspaces, ESLint, Prettier, Husky pre-commit hooks
- Git workflow: branching strategy, conventional commits, and PR review process
Full backend development in TypeScript — Express server architecture, Prisma ORM, PostgreSQL, authentication, testing, and all supporting services. Production patterns throughout — not tutorial shortcuts.
- Express + TypeScript project setup with strict mode, path aliases, and environment configuration
- Prisma ORM: schema definition, migrations, seeding, and querying (select, filter, relations, aggregates)
- PostgreSQL in depth: transactions, indexes, full-text search, and connection pooling with PgBouncer
- Repository pattern: abstracting database logic away from controllers for testability
- Query optimisation: understanding Prisma-generated SQL and avoiding N+1 problems
- RESTful API architecture: controllers, services, and router organisation
- Request validation with Zod — type-safe schemas with automatic TypeScript inference
- Error handling: custom error classes, global error middleware, and consistent API error responses
- GraphQL API with Pothos (schema-first, fully typed) — queries, mutations, subscriptions
- Pagination, filtering, sorting, and cursor-based navigation for large datasets
- File uploads with Multer and direct-to-S3 pre-signed URL workflows
- JWT authentication: access tokens, refresh token rotation, secure cookie storage
- Role-based access control (RBAC): permission design, middleware guards, and policy enforcement
- Security hardening: Helmet, CORS configuration, rate limiting, and SQL injection prevention via Prisma
- Password hashing with Argon2, brute-force protection, and account lockout logic
- Email service: transactional email with Resend (SMTP fallback), email templates with React Email
- Payment integration: Stripe (subscriptions, webhooks, and checkout sessions)
- Background jobs and task queues with BullMQ (Redis-backed) — cron jobs, retry logic, priority queues
Testing is not a separate afterthought in this program — it runs alongside every backend module. You will write real tests for real code, building a test suite that covers the full stack by the end of the program.
- Vitest setup for Node.js / TypeScript: test organisation, mocking, and coverage configuration
- Unit testing: testing service and repository layers in isolation with mocked dependencies
- Integration testing with Supertest: real HTTP request testing against the full Express app
- Test database strategy: running tests against an isolated PostgreSQL instance with transaction rollback
- Mocking external services: Stripe webhooks, email providers, and third-party APIs in tests
- Playwright E2E tests: full user-flow testing from browser through to database
- CI integration: running the full test suite in GitHub Actions on every PR
Next.js 15 App Router with TypeScript throughout — server components, client components, and a clean typed API integration layer generated from your backend contracts.
- Next.js 15 App Router: layouts, loading states, error boundaries, and route organisation
- Server Components vs Client Components — when to use each and the performance implications
- Typed API client layer: auto-generated from your Express API contracts using Zod schemas
- Authentication on the frontend: NextAuth v5, session management, protected routes, and token refresh
- Role-based UI: dynamic rendering based on user permissions and server-side auth checks
- TanStack Query (React Query): server state management, optimistic updates, and cache invalidation
- Complex form handling: React Hook Form + Zod validation, multi-step forms, and file upload UI
- Data tables: server-side pagination, sorting, filtering, and bulk actions
- Data visualisation: charts with Recharts — dashboards, time-series, and comparison views
- Tailwind CSS v4: utility-first styling, design tokens, dark mode, and responsive layout
- Image optimisation with next/image, lazy loading, and CDN delivery
- Internationalisation with next-intl — multi-language routing and content
- Performance: code splitting, bundle analysis, and Core Web Vitals optimisation
- Deployment options: Next.js on Vercel, or SSR integrated with the backend on a single AWS server
Full cloud deployment on AWS with Docker, automated CI/CD, monitoring, and production hardening — taking your application from local to live.
- Docker: multi-stage Dockerfiles for Node.js backend and Next.js frontend, optimised image sizes
- Docker Compose for local development: backend + frontend + PostgreSQL + Redis in one command
- AWS EC2 provisioning: instance setup, security groups, IAM roles, and SSH key management
- AWS services in practice: S3 (file storage + CloudFront CDN), RDS (managed PostgreSQL), ElastiCache (Redis)
- Nginx reverse proxy: routing, upstream configuration, and load balancing fundamentals
- HTTPS with Let's Encrypt (Certbot), automatic certificate renewal, and SSL hardening
- GitHub Actions CI/CD: test → build → push Docker image → deploy pipeline, zero-downtime deployment
- Monitoring and logging: CloudWatch log groups, Sentry error tracking, and health check endpoints
- Backup strategy: automated PostgreSQL backups to S3, retention policies, and restore testing
Extend your full-stack application with production AI features. Every topic is implemented in Node.js / TypeScript — the same stack you built the backend in — so there is no context switch.
- OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), and Google Gemini APIs from Node.js — streaming and non-streaming responses
- Prompt engineering for backend APIs: system prompts, few-shot examples, and structured output with Zod
- Vector databases in Node.js: pgvector (PostgreSQL extension) and Pinecone integration
- Document ingestion pipeline: chunking, embedding with OpenAI text-embedding-3, and indexing
- RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipeline from scratch — semantic search over your own documents
- LLM agents with LangChain.js or Vercel AI SDK: tool use, multi-step reasoning, and agent memory
- AI features in practice: intelligent search, document summariser, chatbot with session context
- Streaming AI responses to the browser via Next.js Server Actions and ReadableStream
- Cost control and rate limiting for LLM APIs in production
- Evaluating LLM output quality: test suites for AI features, regression testing, and logging
➕ Optional Add-On Modules
The 5-week core program can be extended with specialist add-on modules. These are taken after the core program completes or run in parallel for advanced students.
Add-On AWS Deployment Deep-Dive
Advanced AWS — ECS with Fargate (container orchestration), Application Load Balancer, Auto Scaling Groups, RDS Multi-AZ, and VPC networking. Full production-grade cloud architecture.
Add-On AI Integration Module
LLM APIs, RAG pipelines, vector databases, LangChain.js agents, and streaming AI features built into your Node.js backend and Next.js frontend. See Phase 5 for full details.
Add-On Azure Deployment Track
Alternative cloud deployment on Microsoft Azure — App Service, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Blob Storage, Azure Container Registry, and Azure DevOps pipelines. For teams targeting Microsoft environments.
Add-On GraphQL API Deep-Dive
Full GraphQL implementation with Pothos — subscriptions with WebSockets, persisted queries, DataLoader for N+1 prevention, and Apollo Client integration on the Next.js frontend.
📅 Schedule & Timings
Weekday Groups
Weekend Groups
📍 Location: In-house training, F-11 Markaz, Islamabad · 📱 Online option available for out-of-city participants