JavaScript is the standard for client-side scripting today. Its features and performance have been improved significantly over the years to enable the use on the server-side. The MEAN stack (MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and Node.js) is an emerging Web framework that uses JavaScript and is designed to build Web applications from front to back. It uses a single language to offer development productivity and efficiency. The inclusion of these components represents a breakthrough in event-driven and asynchronous architecture, producing the optimal user experience. This course is an introduction to the popular open-sourced Web framework.

The MEAN stack consists of client, server and database skills. The course explains the four components and the role each has in building a modern, sophisticated Web application, and then covers the configuration, implementation and programming details. You will learn to build the Node.js server, include Express in the app, interface with the document-oriented database MongoDB, and use Angular directives and services on the client side. The course will also discuss the interactions with JSON, Model-View-Controller, Web services and HTML in this framework. Class assignments and projects will give you hands-on experience.

Prior to enrolling, students should be familiar with JavaScript and understand database, Web services and client-server needs. The course covers only the essential parts of the MEAN stack. Students are encouraged to bring laptops to class. The instructor will provide software installation guides.

Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of the course, you should be able to

• Describe the whole application stack end to end
• Discuss the various SQL no SQL databases and work with them
• Explain the benefits of Node.js Asynchrony
• Describe the Angular 4 framework

Topics Include

• Introduction to the MEAN stack
• Building the Node.js server
• Interacting with MongoDB using Mongoose
• Configuring and using Express in a Web app
• Implementing Express in Node.js
• Understanding AngularJS directives
• Implementing AngularJS services
• Connecting MongoDB and Node.js
• Accessing and manipulating databases