Made up of MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js, the MERN stack provides everything needed to build full-stack applications. MongoDB, a NoSQL database, serves as the data storage component. Node.js allows developers to use JavaScript for both backend and frontend development. Express.js, a lightweight framework built on top of Node.js, handles server-side logic. Finally, React, a JavaScript library, powers the frontend, enabling developers to create fast, dynamic, and interactive user interfaces.
Learn MERN stack: Practice with these 4 hands-on guided projects
7 min read
Oct 21, 2024
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Key Takeaways:
Hands-on learning: This blog highlights the importance of hands-on practice and introduces Educative’s guided projects to help learners quickly grasp new technologies through real-world applications.
MERN stack overview: We then give a quick introduction to the MERN stack, which consists of MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js.
Four MERN stack projects: We then introduce four hands-on guided projects that can be built using the MERN stack.
Project 1: E-learning website: The first project will guide you on building a course catalog site, including a backend setup and a searchable frontend for users.
Project 2: Real-time chat app: We then move to a project that shows how to create a real-time chat app using the MERN stack and Socket.IO.
Project 3: Custom form maker: Next, we will explore a project in which you build a custom form maker with drag-and-drop functionality and basic CRUD operations.
Project 4: Music sharing app: Finally, we will present a project that lets you create a music-sharing app with MP3 uploads, secure sharing, and cloud storage integration.
The best way to learn a technology is via hands-on practice. Traditional learning via formal exposition has its benefits, but it has redundant elements for a well-prepared learner. Educative’s hands-on projects provide learners of all skill levels with plenty of opportunities to quickly pick up different technologies by taking a few guided projects.
In this blog, we’ll explore four hands-on projects built using the MERN stack. Each project is designed to help you gain experience working across the entire stack, from setting up servers to designing user interfaces.
Here’s the list of projects we’ll discuss:
These are all guided projects where you’ll have access to complete solutions. You’ll be provided with a live environment requiring zero setup time to implement and execute your projects within the browser environment!
Before we get to the projects, let’s get a quick overview of this stack.
Become a MERN Stack Developer
MERN—short for MongoDB, ExpressJS, ReactJs, and NodeJS—is an open-source JavaScript software stack for developing dynamic web applications.The MERN stack is a popularly used framework in the industry, which has a high demand for developers that are proficient in this tech stack. This Skill Path provides a comprehensive introduction to MongoDB, Express, React, and Node. It also demonstrates how to use these technologies to create web applications. By the end of this Skill Path, you will have the skills to develop efficient and scalable full stack web applications using the MERN stack.
The MERN stack#
The MERN stack is one of the preferred options for developers to build web applications. It consists of MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js and provides everything needed to build web applications.
The MERN stack
Let’s start with a brief introduction to each component of this stack.
The database: MongoDB#
MongoDB serves as the database component of the MERN stack. It’s a NoSQL database, meaning it stores data in a flexible, JSON-like format, instead of using traditional relational databases. This makes MongoDB suitable for handling unstructured data.
Let’s see the following example to get a sense of how MongoDB works:
const mongoose = require('mongoose');// Connect to a local MongoDB databasemongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/myapp', { useNewUrlParser: true, useUnifiedTopology: true });// Define a simple schema for employeesconst EmployeeSchema = new mongoose.Schema({ name: String, email: String });// Create a model based on the schemaconst Employee = mongoose.model('Employee', EmployeeSchema);// Save a new employee to the databaseconst newEmployee = new Employee({ name: 'John', email: 'john@example.com' });newEmployee.save().then(() => console.log('Employee saved!'));// ...// Find all employees in the databaseEmployee.find({}, (err, employees) => {// ...});// Update the name of an employee with a specific emailEmployee.findOneAndUpdate({ email: 'john@example.com' }, // Query condition{ name: 'John Doe' }, // Fields to update{ new: true }, // Return the updated document(err, updatedEmployee) => {// ...});
The backend: Express.js#
Express.js serves as the backend in the MERN stack. It’s lightweight, making it easy to handle web server logic. With Express, you can manage HTTP requests, set up routes, handle middleware, and manage your API responses.
Let’s look at a simple example of creating a basic Express server:
// Importing the Express moduleconst express = require('express');const app = express();// Define a route for the root URL ('/')app.get('/', (req, res) => {res.send('Welcome to Educative!');});// Start the server on port 3000app.listen(3000, () => {console.log('Server running on http://localhost:3000');});
The frontend: React#
React serves as the frontend framework in the MERN stack. It’s a JavaScript library that helps developers create fast and dynamic UI by breaking it down into reusable components. This makes it easy to maintain and scale large applications, as each component is responsible for its own UI.
Here’s a basic React component to show how it works:
import React, { useState } from 'react';function EmployeeManagement() {// State to store the list of employeesconst [employees, setEmployees] = useState([]);// State to store the name of the new employeeconst [name, setName] = useState('');// Function to add a new employee (with just the name)const addEmployee = () => {if (name === '') return;setEmployees([...employees, name]); // Add the new name to the employees arraysetName(''); // Clear the input field after adding};// More functions...return (<div><h1>Employee Management</h1>{/* Input field to take employee name */}<inputtype="text"placeholder="Employee Name"value={name} // Bind the input value to the stateonChange={(e) => setName(e.target.value)} // Update state when the input changes/>{/* More UI elements */}{/* Add a button to add the employee */}<button onClick={addEmployee}>Add Employee</button></div>);}export default EmployeeManagement;
Become a React Developer
React is a powerful and widely used JavaScript library for building dynamic and responsive user interfaces. Its efficiency and popularity have increased the market demand for React skills, offering good job opportunities and competitive salaries. This Skill Path will guide learners from foundational to advanced levels of React development. Beginning with React Hooks, you’ll explore efficient state and life cycle management within functional components. You’ll learn routing techniques using React Router and secure authentication strategies. You’ll also gain proficiency in constructing and validating forms using Formik, ensuring robust data management. Moreover, you’ll dive into contemporary testing methodologies, using Postman for API testing and WebdriverIO for UI testing. By the end of this Skill Path, you’ll gain the skills to craft dynamic, scalable React applications equipped with essential techniques for modern web development practices.
The glue: Node.js#
Node.js allows developers to use JavaScript on both the frontend and backend. It’s a runtime environment that executes JavaScript outside of the browser, making it possible to build servers and interact with the database using JavaScript.
In a MERN stack application, Node.js provides the runtime environment for server-side JavaScript, while Express.js is used to handle HTTP requests, routing, and middleware.
Learn Node.js: The Complete Course for Beginners
Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform, JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside of a web browser. This course is your guide for learning the fundamentals of Node.js. In this course, you'll start by understanding the inner workings of Node.js. More specifically, you’ll explore its features, how event loops work, and how multithreading works. You’ll then move on to the fundamentals of Node.js like file systems, global objects, and the Buffer class. In the latter half of the course, you’ll explore more advanced concepts like modules, events, and packages. At the end of this course, you will get hands-on with Node.js and create your own food delivery web application. By the end of this course, you will have a new, in-demand skill to put on your resume and a cool project to add to your portfolio.
Project 1: Build an E-learning Website#
In this project, you’ll create an e-learning course catalog website with search functionality using the MERN stack. The project covers building both the backend and frontend from scratch.
You’ll start by setting up the backend using Node.js and Express, defining the database schema, and creating an API that interacts with MongoDB to store and retrieve course data. After that, you’ll move on to building the frontend using React, designing the layout with React-Bootstrap, and implementing a search feature. Finally, you’ll connect the frontend to the backend using Axios.
Why should you take this project?#
This project offers a practical, hands-on opportunity for learners with foundational MERN stack knowledge to build an e-learning course catalog. By creating both the backend and frontend, you’ll gain valuable experience working with databases, APIs, and user interfaces.
Ready to apply your MERN stack knowledge? Start building your own e-learning platform and take the next step in full-stack development.
Project 2: Build a Real-time Chat App with Socket.IO#
In this project, you’ll create a real-time chat application using the MERN stack and Socket.IO. The app will enable users to chat with others in real time, offering a hands-on experience with real-time communication.
You’ll begin by setting up the backend with Node.js, Express, and MongoDB, creating the necessary models and routes to manage chats and messages. After setting up the API, you’ll use React to develop the user interface, allowing users to send and receive messages. The integration of Socket.IO will enable real-time communication between users.
Why should you take this project?#
This project is for learners who want to explore real-time communication and event-driven architecture. You’ll gain experience working with live data updates, which are essential for modern applications, making this project perfect for advancing your MERN stack and Socket.IO expertise.
Want to push your skills further? Dive into real-time communication development and build your own chat app.
Project 3: Build a Custom Form Maker#
In this project, you’ll create a custom form maker application using the MERN stack. The app will allow users to design forms, manage responses, and perform basic CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on the forms.
You’ll start by building the backend with Node.js and Express, connecting it to MongoDB to store and manage form data. After the backend is set up, you’ll work on the frontend, allowing the users to create, edit, and rearrange form fields using drag-and-drop functionality. You’ll also implement features that allow authors to view form responses.
Why should you take this project?#
This project is perfect for learners who want to deepen their understanding of CRUD operations and frontend interactivity. You’ll gain experience in designing user interfaces with drag-and-drop functionality and working with MongoDB to manage backend data, offering a complete full-stack learning experience.
Interested in creating customizable solutions? Start building your form maker application today.
Project 4: Build a Music Sharing App with Next.js#
In this project, you’ll create a music-sharing app using Next.js and the MERN stack. This app will enable MP3 uploads, secure file sharing, and cloud-based storage via Cloudinary.
You’ll start by building the backend using Node.js and Express, where you’ll create routes for uploading, fetching, and downloading MP3 files. MongoDB will be used to store user and file data, while Cloudinary will handle efficient cloud storage for the audio files. You’ll use Next.js to implement an interface for uploading music files and generating shareable links for downloads.
Why should you take this project?#
This project combines MERN stack development with cloud integration, giving you the opportunity to build a music-sharing platform. You’ll work on file uploads, cloud storage, and media management, using Next.js for efficient server-side rendering and MongoDB for user data management. This is project is suitable for those looking to expand their skills in cloud-based applications and media sharing platforms.
Looking to explore cloud integration and media sharing? Start developing your music-sharing platform today.
Taking on these projects will not only help you quickly grasp the MERN stack but also give you the confidence to start building your own full-stack applications. By working through each project, you’ll gain hands-on experience with the key tools and technologies that power modern web development.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Written By:
Imran Farid Khan
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