To all the full-stack developers of the world.
Pro MERN Stack is for full-stack developers, architects, and team leads wanting to learn about this stack built with Mongo, Express, React, and Node.
It was in late December 2016 that I finished the manuscript of the first edition. But within just a few months after the book was out, it was outdated. React Router released a new version, 3.0, and this alone was enough to warrant a new edition. I tried to communicate to readers via GitHub issues, asking them to use the older version of React Router. It worked for a while, but this was less than satisfactory.
That was not all. Within another few months, there was a new Node.js LTS version, then React 16, and then a new version of MongoDB, and then Babel. Almost every module used in the MERN stack was upgraded and soon Pro MERN Stack became outdated. This pace of change amazed me. Although every new change was great, it did no good for technical authors like me.
I did wait for things to stabilize a bit before initiating the second edition of Pro MERN Stack. And I am glad I did, because I believe the current set of tools that form the MERN stack have reached a good level of maturity and therefore will be reasonably stable for some time to come.
Compared to the first edition, there are the expected newer versions of all the tools and libraries. But importantly, I have introduced more modern ways of doing things.
I have replaced REST APIs with GraphQL, which I believe is a superior way of implementing APIs. There is a new architecture that separates the user interface and the APIs into two different servers. Instead of using in-memory sessions to track logged-in users, I used JSON Web Tokens. I have simplified server rendering by using a global store instead of the deprecated React Context. Finally, I introduced a new chapter on deployment using Heroku.
I also changed many things that one needs to do as an author to enhance the readers’ experiences. I added illustrations and more explanations to code snippets and increased the granularity of the sections. All these changes, in my opinion, will make Pro MERN Stack , Second Edition, far superior to the first edition. It’s not just an up-to-date version of the first edition, but it enhances the learning experience significantly.
This book would not have been possible without the official reviewers. But the most I owe to is my wife, Keerthana, for the illustrations. Not just for drawing them, but for designing them as well. And to do that, she had to read each chapter, understand it in detail, and try out the code in it. Honestly, this book would not have been possible without her.
Table of Contents
About the Author and About the Technical Reviewer
About the Author
has experience with all kinds of programming, from 8-bit, hand-assembled code on an 8085 to AWS Lambda. He not only loves to solve problems using software, but he also looks for the right mix of technology and processes to make a software product team most efficient. He learned software development at companies such as Corel, Wipro, and Barracuda Networks, not just as a programmer but also as a leader of teams at those companies.
Vasan studied at IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore. In his current job as CTO at Accel, he mentors startups on all things tech. His Twitter handle is @vasansr. While not mentoring or coding (or writing books!), Vasan runs half marathons and plays five-a-side soccer.
About the Technical Reviewer
is a full-stack developer at Wipro Digital, delivering solutions using various upcoming and existing technologies like MERN stack, GraphQL, and micro-services. He currently lives in London and loves traveling. In his leisure time, he watches films and directs short movies.