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Developing Full-Stack Applications with JavaScript

University of Michigan via Coursera

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Overview

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“Developing Full-Stack Applications” focuses on advanced JavaScript concepts to build modern, scalable, and collaborative applications. You will move beyond client-only development to learn how to integrate external libraries, manage project dependencies, and build server-side applications with Node.js. You’ll be introduced to building real-time multi-user applications, with an emphasis on critical cross-cutting concerns such as accessibility (a11y) and internationalization (i18n). Through hands-on projects, you will gain the skills to design interactive, collaborative, inclusive, and usable applications. This is the third course in a four-part series, “Practical JavaScript: From Scratch to React,” that provides you with hands-on experience in creating seamless front- and back-end applications.

Syllabus

Libraries and Modules

This module introduces how modern JavaScript projects manage external code and structure larger programs. We will begin with the basics of the command line and package management using npm. You’ll learn how to create and configure a package.json file, add third-party libraries, and manage project dependencies. We will then explore bundlers like Vite, Parcel, and Webpack, which resolve dependencies and allow us to use modular JavaScript. This module also covers topics such as semantic versioning and code licensing.

Server-Side JavaScript

In module 2, we discuss server-side programming with JavaScript using Node.js. You will learn how to run JavaScript outside of the browser, build a simple HTTP server, and respond to client requests. We will also cover how to use WebSockets for real-time, two-way communication between clients and servers.

Multi-User Applications

In this module, you will learn how to build applications that support multiple users interacting at the same time. We will compare different synchronization mechanisms that allow shared state across clients, focusing on Operational Transformations (OT) and Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs). You will then learn how to create a simple collaborative application using Y.js, a popular CRDT-based library for building real-time, multi-user apps. Finally, we will survey common authentication frameworks that enable secure multi-user systems.

Internationalization and Accessibility

In the final module of this course, we examine how to design applications that are usable and inclusive for all users, regardless of ability, culture, or location. You will learn the principles of Accessibility (a11y), which ensure applications can be used by people with diverse needs, and Internationalization (i18n), which makes it possible to adapt applications to different languages and cultural contexts. You will also learn about Localization (l10n) as the process of adapting an application for specific locales.