May 1, 2024
Updated June 15, 2025
21 minute read
An Introduction to Server-Side Development
Server-side development, often referred to as backend development, is the work that happens behind the scenes to make a website or application function. It involves managing the server, application logic, and databases, ensuring that all the parts of a digital product work together seamlessly. Think of it as the engine room of a ship; while you might not see it, it's essential for powering the journey. This field is responsible for everything from processing data and handling user requests to interacting with databases and ensuring security.
js4748|
Find a path to becoming a Server-Side Development. Learn more at:
OpenCourser.com/topic/js4748/server
Reading list
We've selected 36 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Server-Side Development.
A comprehensive guide to the fundamental concepts of data systems, essential for server-side developers who interact with databases and distributed systems. It covers topics like data models, storage, retrieval, consistency, and fault tolerance. is highly relevant for understanding the complexities of modern server-side infrastructure and is considered a must-read for those working with large-scale systems.
Given the prevalence of APIs in server-side development, this book offers essential guidance on designing effective and valuable web APIs. It covers principles, patterns, and practices for API design, crucial for creating well-structured and maintainable server-side interfaces. It is highly relevant for contemporary server-side development.
Provides a comprehensive guide to server-side development using Node.js and Express, covering topics such as routing, templating, database integration, and authentication.
Key resource for understanding and implementing microservices architecture, a prevalent pattern in modern server-side development. It covers the design, testing, deployment, and monitoring of microservices, providing practical guidance for building scalable and resilient systems. The second edition is particularly relevant for contemporary topics in server-side architecture.
Focusing on writing readable, maintainable, and well-structured code, this book is fundamental for server-side developers. It provides practical guidance on naming conventions, functions, objects, and classes, all crucial for building robust server applications. It's a widely recognized classic and often used as a reference for improving code quality.
Focusing on the challenges of putting software into production and keeping it running reliably, this book is invaluable for server-side developers. It discusses patterns for making applications stable and resilient in the face of failure, covering topics like stability patterns, integration patterns, and operations. The second edition includes updated content relevant to modern deployments.
A comprehensive guide to the Spring framework, a widely used Java framework for server-side development. covers the core features of Spring and guides readers in building various types of applications. The sixth edition is updated for modern Spring versions and practices. It valuable resource for Java developers.
Explores the world of serverless architecture, where developers can build and deploy applications without managing servers.
Offers a comprehensive guide to Kubernetes, an open-source platform for managing containerized workloads.
Provides foundational advice on software development practices that are highly relevant to server-side development. It covers topics like avoiding duplication, writing flexible code, testing, and managing complexity. While not exclusively about server-side development, its principles are essential for any developer in this field. It is widely considered a must-read classic in the software engineering community and is valuable as a long-term reference.
Specifically for Node.js server-side development, this book explores design patterns relevant to the platform. It helps developers write modular, scalable, and maintainable Node.js applications by leveraging appropriate patterns. It's a practical guide for those working with Node.js.
This classic book introduces the practice of Test-Driven Development (TDD), a fundamental methodology for writing high-quality and reliable code. TDD is highly applicable to server-side development for building robust and maintainable applications. While not specific to server-side, its principles are universally valuable for developers.
Provides a thorough introduction to the Rust programming language, which is gaining popularity for its focus on safety and high performance.
Focuses on common mistakes and suboptimal practices when working with SQL and relational databases. Understanding these antipatterns is crucial for server-side developers to write efficient and maintainable database code. It's a practical guide that complements theoretical database knowledge.
This foundational book introduces Domain-Driven Design (DDD), an approach to software development that emphasizes modeling the business domain. DDD is highly relevant for designing complex server-side applications that accurately reflect business requirements. It's considered a classic but can be conceptually challenging.
Offers a comprehensive overview of server-side development using PHP, covering topics such as object-oriented programming, database integration, and web services.
Provides best practices and techniques for developing modern web applications with PHP.
Introduces the Go programming language, which is known for its simplicity, concurrency, and high performance.
Provides a comprehensive overview of Java EE 8, a platform for building enterprise applications.
While the title mentions 'Browser Networking,' a significant portion of this book is highly relevant to server-side performance. It covers the intricacies of HTTP/2, TLS, and other network protocols that impact server-side communication and performance. Understanding these concepts is crucial for building fast and efficient server applications.
Another excellent resource for Python server-side development, this book introduces the Django framework. It provides a beginner-friendly approach to building web applications with Django, covering topics like models, views, URLs, and templates. It's suitable for those new to Django.
While a comprehensive academic textbook, this book provides a deep understanding of database systems, which are fundamental to most server-side applications. It covers database design, querying, transaction management, and concurrency control. It valuable reference for gaining a thorough understanding of the data layer in server-side development.
While not strictly about server-side development, this book provides essential guidance on writing high-quality Java code. Given Java's prevalence in server-side applications (especially with frameworks like Spring), understanding effective Java programming is crucial for building robust and performant servers. It's considered a must-read for Java developers.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/topic/js4748/server
Save
