Introduction to Full-stack Development

Session Timeline

Learning Objectives

• Understand the concept of full-stack web development
• Learn about client-server architecture
• Explore the web development technology stack
• Understand the role of different technologies in web development
• Plan and structure an e-commerce project
• Set up a local development environment

What is Full-stack Development?

• Front-end: What users see and interact with
• Back-end: Server-side logic and database operations
• Full-stack developers understand the entire application
• Enables building complete, functional web applications

Web Development Stack

• Industry-standard stack for web development
• Open-source and widely supported
• Excellent for e-commerce applications
• Easy to learn and deploy

E-commerce Application Structure

E-commerce Website Structure:
├── Front-end (User Interface)
│ ├── Product catalog pages
│ ├── Shopping cart interface
│ ├── User registration/login
│ ├── Checkout process
│ └── Order tracking
├── Back-end (Server Logic)
│ ├── User authentication
│ ├── Product management
│ ├── Order processing
│ ├── Payment handling
│ └── Admin panel
└── Database (Data Storage)
├── User accounts
├── Product information
├── Orders and transactions
└── System settings

Development Environment Setup

• XAMPP: All-in-one package (Apache, MySQL, PHP)
• Code Editor: Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text
• Browser: Chrome, Firefox with developer tools
• Database Tool: phpMyAdmin (included with XAMPP)

E-commerce Project Planning

• Requirements Analysis: Define features and functionality
• Database Design: Plan tables and relationships
• User Interface Design: Wireframes and mockups
• Technology Selection: Choose appropriate tools
• Development Timeline: Set milestones and deadlines

Project Phases:
1. Planning & Design (Sessions 1-3)
2. Back-end Development (Sessions 4-8)
3. Front-end Integration (Sessions 9-11)
4. Testing & Deployment (Session 12)

Database Design Basics

E-commerce Database Tables:
users (id, username, email, password, created_at)
products (id, name, description, price, stock, category_id)
categories (id, name, description)
orders (id, user_id, total_amount, status, created_at)
order_items (id, order_id, product_id, quantity, price)

• Tables store related data
• Relationships connect different tables
• Primary keys uniquely identify records
• Foreign keys link related data

Security Considerations

• Input Validation: Validate all user inputs
• SQL Injection Prevention: Use prepared statements
• Password Hashing: Never store plain text passwords
• Session Management: Secure user sessions
• HTTPS: Encrypt data transmission
• File Upload Security: Validate file types and sizes

Performance Optimization

• Database Optimization: Efficient queries and indexing
• Caching: Store frequently accessed data
• Image Optimization: Compress and resize images
• Code Optimization: Efficient algorithms and clean code
• CDN Usage: Distribute static content globally

Optimization Techniques:
- Use database indexes for faster queries
- Implement page caching
- Optimize images for web
- Minify CSS and JavaScript files

Testing Strategies

• Unit Testing: Test individual functions
• Integration Testing: Test component interactions
• User Testing: Real user feedback
• Cross-browser Testing: Test in different browsers
• Mobile Testing: Test on mobile devices
• Security Testing: Vulnerability assessment

Deployment Process

1. Code Review: Check code quality and security
2. Testing: Comprehensive testing on staging environment
3. Database Migration: Set up production database
4. File Upload: Upload files to web server
5. Configuration: Set up production settings
6. Monitoring: Monitor performance and errors

Deployment Platforms:
- Shared hosting (cPanel)
- VPS hosting (DigitalOcean, AWS)
- Cloud platforms (Heroku, Vercel)
- Dedicated servers

Industry Best Practices

• Version Control: Use Git for code management
• Code Standards: Follow coding conventions
• Documentation: Document code and processes
• Backup Strategy: Regular backups of code and data
• Monitoring: Track application performance
• Continuous Learning: Stay updated with new technologies

Essential Web Development Tools

• Browser Developer Tools: Chrome DevTools, Firefox Developer Tools
• Code Editors: VS Code, Sublime Text, Atom
• Version Control: Git, GitHub, GitLab
• Database Tools: phpMyAdmin, MySQL Workbench
• API Testing: Postman, Insomnia
• Image Editing: GIMP, Photoshop, Figma

Web Standards and Protocols

• HTTP/HTTPS: Communication protocol between client and server
• HTML5: Latest standard for web markup
• CSS3: Latest standard for web styling
• JavaScript ES6+: Modern JavaScript features
• REST API: Standard for web service communication
• JSON: Data interchange format

HTTP Request Example:
GET /products.php HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0...

Responsive Design Principles

• Mobile-First: Design for mobile devices first
• Flexible Grid: Use CSS Grid and Flexbox
• Flexible Images: Images that scale properly
• Media Queries: CSS rules for different screen sizes
• Touch-Friendly: Design for touch interfaces
• Performance: Optimize for mobile performance

Web Accessibility Guidelines

• Semantic HTML: Use proper HTML elements
• Alt Text: Provide alternative text for images
• Keyboard Navigation: Ensure keyboard accessibility
• Color Contrast: Maintain sufficient color contrast
• Screen Reader Support: Test with screen readers
• Focus Indicators: Clear focus indicators for navigation

Accessibility Example:
<img src="product.jpg" alt="Red running shoes">
<button aria-label="Add to cart">+</button>