REST API Fundamentals with Node.js
Build a working REST API from scratch with Express — routing, middleware, request validation, and proper HTTP status codes — as the foundation for every other project in this roadmap.
Prerequisites: Node.js installed (LTS); basic JavaScript and async/await; a REST client such as curl, HTTPie, or Postman.
Targeted versions: Node.js 24 (current Active LTS); Express 5.2 (current TC-endorsed release — Express 4 entered its sunset window in 2026); verified against nodejs.org and Express project docs, mid-2026.
You'll build a small REST API for a single resource — think "tasks" or "books" — with full create/read/update/delete behavior, input validation, and correct HTTP status codes. This project is the base every other Backend Engineer project in this roadmap builds on.
Node.js currently has two supported LTS lines: Node 24 (Active LTS) and Node 22 (Maintenance LTS). Node 26 exists but is still a Current release, not yet promoted to LTS, so it's better suited to experimentation than to a project you'll keep building on.
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