Overview

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This course features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. NestJS Developer Lab 2026 - Build a Real API Step-by-Step provides a comprehensive journey into backend development with NestJS. By completing this course, you’ll learn to build a fully functional, real-world API using NestJS, PostgreSQL, and JWT authentication. You'll explore essential modules such as Tags, Authentication, Articles, and Profile management, all while honing your practical skills for API development. Starting with setting up your tools, you'll quickly dive into building a Tag module and service, followed by learning how to implement a secure Authentication system with JWTs. The course progresses with in-depth exploration of article management, including CRUD operations and creating personalized user feeds. Finally, you will refine your backend validation and ensure your application is tested both on the client and server side. This course is perfect for intermediate developers looking to deepen their API development skills with NestJS. You should have a basic understanding of JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, and web development concepts. It’s an excellent choice for developers interested in full-stack development or backend API architecture. By the end of the course, you’ll have created a robust, scalable API and gained a deeper understanding of web application development. This course is ideal for learners looking to gain hands-on experience with NestJS, whether you're building your first API or looking to enhance your backend development skills.

Syllabus

Preparing Tools

In this module, we will introduce the course and outline the key concepts of building an API with NestJS. We will also discuss the technologies required for the project, including NestJS and Postgres. You will generate your first NestJS project to establish the foundation for the API.

Tags Module

In this module, we will build the Tag module and its controller to manage tags in the API. We will configure the Postgres database and create the Tag entity, which is essential for managing the tag data. Additionally, we will implement the repository pattern for data interaction.

Authentication Module

In this module, we will focus on the authentication features of the API. You will implement database migrations, manage user registration with DTOs, and generate JWT tokens for authentication. Additionally, you will secure routes with middleware and guards to ensure access control.

Article Module

In this module, we will develop the Article module, enabling users to create, update, and delete articles. We will also create a feed to display the latest articles and implement features that allow users to like and dislike articles for engagement.

Profile Module

In this module, we will set up user profiles and enable social interactions like following and unfollowing. You will also build a personalized feed for each user, showing articles from the users they follow.

Last Improvements

In this module, we will focus on improving backend validation to ensure that the data we receive is accurate and secure. We will also introduce error handling techniques and utilize validation pipes for better data integrity. Finally, we will explore frontend testing to verify the correct operation of the API from the client side.

What's Next?

In this final module, we will give you a hands-on homework task that will allow you to apply the concepts you've learned. You'll have the opportunity to enhance your API, implement new features, and tackle real-world challenges. This will reinforce your skills and build confidence in your ability to create robust applications.