Introduction to the Series
Hello developers and tech enthusiasts! If you've ever wondered how online stores manage everything—from user accounts to payments—you've come to the perfect starting point. We're embarking on an engaging journey to build the "backend" of an online store, and we're doing it the professional way, using a method called Test-Driven Development (TDD).
If the term TDD sounds like tech jargon, don't worry! In simple terms, it means we'll first write some tests to define what our code should do, and then we'll write the actual code to make those tests pass. It's like sketching an outline before painting a masterpiece. This approach is widely used in the industry to create high-quality, bug-free software.
We'll be using a fantastic tool called Django for this journey. Django is both beginner-friendly and incredibly powerful, making it a great choice whether you're taking your first steps in web development or looking to deepen your skills.
Throughout this series, you'll gain hands-on experience in creating a comprehensive e-commerce backend. We'll cover how to securely manage user data, list products, process orders, and integrate payments—all while using TDD to ensure our code is up to professional standards. This is not just about learning to code; it's about coding the way professionals do.
The best part? You'll see your tests turn green and your code come to life in real time, giving you both confidence and tangible results.
What to Expect: A Comprehensive Skill-Set
This series isn't just about coding; it's about crafting solutions the way the industry's best do—meticulously, robustly, and intelligently. Expect to delve into the system below and more:
User Management: Implementing secure authentication systems using JWT.
Product Catalog: Crafting models and APIs to showcase an array of products.
Order Processing: Building cart and checkout functionalities.
Payment Integration: Incorporating secure gateways for financial transactions.
Technologies Covered
While our main focus will be on Django—a powerful yet beginner-friendly framework—we'll also explore a host of other technologies to provide a well-rounded educational experience. Here's what we'll cover:
Django: For building our robust backend.
Django REST Framework: To expose our functionalities via APIs.
PostgreSQL: This is our relational database of choice which is for database management.
JWT: For stateless authentication.
Social Authentication: Google and Facebook Integration
Paystack: For payment integration
Docker: Containerization for cross-platform compatibility.
Celery & Redis: For asynchronous tasks and message brokering, respectively.
So, are you ready to dive into the world of professional web development and e-commerce, all while learning the industry-standard practice of Test-Driven Development? Great! The only prerequisites are a keen willingness to learn and a sense of adventure. Let's embark on this exciting journey and build something truly awesome, one test at a time!