How This Course Will Help You

Get an overview of the course structure and how it will help you build concepts on cloud native web development.

The internet provides in-depth expert advice on pretty much any topic, but we need to know what to look for. This course will provide a comprehensive end-to-end guide on how to develop a web application from zero to production, from the initial git init to production support, and anything in between.

A unique way to develop a cloud native web application

There are many ways to develop web applications and deploy them to the cloud. This course will discuss a unique way to dive into web development and learn the concepts. It will also engage in a healthy debate on what works and what does not work. This is part of how the software industry evolves and improves.

To provide as much transparency as much possible, the course will explain the reason behind each choice of technology, tool, process, etc., and provide alternatives where applicable. This will help you choose a different path where you see fit. For example, I may choose GitHub for source control, whereas you may use GitLab. Either does the job, and the concepts you learn in this course can be applied to either service.

Outline

Each chapter of this course will consist of lessons covering two parts:

  • Part 1: Technologies, tools & processes
  • Part 2: Develop a foundation

Part 1: Technologies, tools and Processes

This will set the baseline for the rest of the chapter, you should understand the topics discussed in this part at a high level to follow along throughout the rest of the chapter.

This is also where we will learn about alternatives, pros/cons, and an explanation of why we should choose A over B.

Part 2: Develop a foundation

This is the hands-on part. This is where we write code and develop incrementally, chapter-by-chapter, a skeleton web application. We will integrate a CSS framework, write component and end-to-end tests, automate the continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, and learn about production monitoring. We will also build user authentication and read and write data from and to a database.

Audience

This course is for anyone who is interested in going beyond the regular tutorials and step-by-step guides for individual topics. It definitely covers the “how”, but it also discusses the “why and why not.” This course will teach us the thinking process that the most successful web developers adopt over the course of their careers, so we can apply it to our daily work life. It will also pass on valuable experiences and knowledge so we don’t spend unnecessary time dealing with challenges others may have already dealt with.

Are you new to web development?

This course will guide you along the journey to run your first web application in the cloud. As you progress chapter-by-chapter, you will learn new concepts, technologies, best practices, and also get to see the mistakes made by others so you can avoid them. There will be exercises to push your limits and to test your understanding of the concepts discussed in each chapter.

Are you an experienced web developer?

You’ve been there. You made decisions on which framework to choose and why it was the best choice. You deployed applications and ran them in production. This course will help you expand your views, dive deeper into certain topics, and it will provide source code you can leverage with your own individual and team projects.

By the end, you will have a foundation you can use to develop cloud native web applications on your own or with your team.