Do I need to know databases before building a backend?
Yes. You will work with a database every day. Understand schema design, indexes, and relationships. For MongoDB, learn embedding vs referencing and population.
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More FAQs in What to Know Before Building a Node.js Backend
HTTP, async JavaScript (callbacks, promises, async/await), Node core modules, REST API design, databases and schema design, authentication (JWT, cookies), security basics, and project structure.
Backend code does many async operations: database queries, file reads, network calls. If you cannot reason about promises and async/await, your code will have race conditions and bugs that are hard to trace.
Skipping the fundamentals. They jump into code without understanding HTTP, async, or schema design, and end up with rework. Learn the basics first.
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