With modern tools, it is possible to create
production-grade applications using only JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The
combination of MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, and Node.js, all JavaScript
technologies, has become so popular that it’s been dubbed the MEAN stack. This
book will explore the MEAN stack in detail.
We’ll begin by covering Node.js, as it lays the groundwork for all our
server-side work. You will learn how to get Node running on your local machine,
as well as download modules using npm, Node’s package manager. The key aspects
of the Node.js programming model will also be covered.
From
there, we’ll move on to MongoDB, a NoSQL database. You’ll learn how to interact
with Mongo from a Node application, and how to create, retrieve, update, and
delete data from a Mongo store.
After
you have a solid grasp on Node and Mongo, the book will move on to the Ex-press
web server. We’ll address the basics of Express applications via topics such as
routes and middleware. Building on previous chapters, we will cover the
integ-ration of Node, Mongo, and Express.
Our
coverage of the MEAN stack will wrap up with several chapters on AngularJS.
These chapters will detail Angular fundamentals such as data binding,
directives, controllers, routing, and services. Wrapping up the book will be
chapters on debug-ging and testing MEAN applications.
Full-stack
JavaScript is not fully encompassed by the MEAN stack. There is an entire
ecosystem of JavaScript tools to learn about, and this book will introduce a
few of them. We will present task runners Gulp and Grunt, which are extremely
useful for automating mundane, repetitive tasks. We’ll also investigate JSHint,
a linting tool used to improve code quality. Along the way, we’ll also be
developing an example human resources application from scratch using the MEAN
stack.
