What is this about?

This course will give you skills to create a full website. From scratch to deployment.

Being a "full-stack" engineer requires multiple skills. It can be overwhelming to think of all of them. This guided provides a step-by-step guide to learn and practice those skills.

By the end of the course, you will probably be able to:

• create a Django application

• create remote servers

• use ssh

• use nginx

• deploy app using "git push"

• use crons

• use SSL and LetsEncrypt

• configure domain names (DNS records)

• Write advanced Javascript

• Write advanced CSS

• create virtual machines (containers) using Docker

• run multiple containers together using Docker Compose

• Migrate servers

Overview

It assumes that a person reading this guide already has a basic knowledge of:

• html
• css
• git
• know how websites work

Rules

• I will not provide any solutions.
• You need to develop a habit of searching good content and referring the documentation.
• Sleep over the problem when you get stuck. Sometimes the solutions come at night or next day. Develop this instinct.
• Ask on StackOverflow or IRC channels if you get stuck.
• I will review the working code if you want.

Course outline

• Create a very simple blog: something like Twitter
  • anyone can register and post in plain text
  • show all posts in decreasing order
• push it to production
  • setup a remote server
  • copy code to remote server
  • install MySQL
  • install nginx
  • setup gunicorn
• add a domain name
  • purchase a domain name
  • setup DNS records
• setup git-push
  • add repository
  • add post-receive hook
• improve design
  • normalize.css
  • mobile first and minimal CSS needed
  • use external font
  • style buttons and form
• handle rich text
  • use contenteditable and Javascript
  • use Bleach to sanitize content
• handle image uploads
  • ajax and drop even handlers
• re-deploy everything
  • understand need for server automation
  • write Dockerfile
  • write docker-compose.yml
• monitoring and routine tasks
  • crons for error logs
  • include crons in source code
  • cron to create a backup everyday
• make the design smart
  • show more using css
  • show tooltips
  • three column design:
    • toc
    • content
    • footnotes
• change the web-host
  • deploy a new server
  • put website on maintenance
  • create a backup
  • restore backup on new web-host
  • update DNS records