This repository captures my learning journey during the BeTechified December 2025 Backend Development cohort. It contains exercises, small projects, and examples that document how I learned to build, run, and deploy backend services using Node.js, Express, and MongoDB.

• Backend fundamentals: request/response cycle, middleware, routing, and RESTful design
• Project structure & best practices: organizing files, separating concerns (routes, models, config)
• Key tools & packages: express, dotenv, mongoose, nodemon, and other npm packages
• CRUD endpoints: designing and implementing Create, Read, Update, Delete routes with proper HTTP methods
• Database integration: connecting applications to MongoDB using Mongoose and handling configuration through environment variables
• Local development & tooling: running servers locally with nodemon and managing environment variables using .env
• Deployment: deploying applications to Render (and other hosting platforms)

• app.js — application entry point
• src/config/db.js — MongoDB connection setup
• src/models/ — Mongoose models (e.g., users.js)
• src/routes/ — Express routes for CRUD operations
• Example apps and step-by-step exercises in subfolders for hands-on practice

Note: This repository is primarily a learning resource — code is intentionally focused on clarity and teaching rather than production hardening.

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repo-url>
   cd BeTechfied_BackEnd-Development_Dec025

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Create a .env file and add your MongoDB connection string (example):

   MONGO_URI=mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@cluster0.mongodb.net/mydb
   PORT=3000

4. Start the server (development)

   npm run dev   # uses nodemon
   # or
   node app.js

5. Open your browser or use a tool like Postman to test the CRUD endpoints on http://localhost:<PORT>

I practiced deploying projects to Render. Deployment steps typically involve linking the repo, setting environment variables on the platform, and configuring the start script.

• Email: erick.wambugu23@gmail.com
• WhatsApp: +254 717 829 705
• Website/Portfolio: https://erickwambugu.netlify.app/

Thank you for visiting — feel free to reach out if you'd like to review any part of this code or collaborate on backend projects! ✅