CodeCloud.me

Package.json Step 1

You are about to build a Node.js app after clicking "Launch Console" below. If you don't know what Node.js is, it's just the most awesome kind of runtime environment. which uses the ever-so-popular JavaScript programming language. Not sure about a runtime environment? Don't worry. It will all come soon. By the way, some awesome companies that use Node.js include:
Netflix, PayPal, Uber, the New York Times, and LinkedIn. This file (package.json) holds the information regarding what your app needs in order to run. We call this stuff the "dependencies". A dependency might be a module called "apn", which allows you to send push notifications to iPhone devices. Modules like these mean that you don't have to re-invent wheels that other people have already invented.

Server.js Step 2

This file sets up your database (where usernames, passwords and other stuff is stored) and runs your application. At the very top, it "requires" modules that you added to the package.json file (which we discussed in the first step) to get the app started.
A "require" is just a fancy way of saying the app uses code from a module. The "fs" and "express" modules are commonly included in Node.js apps, including this one, to access the files in the project and make the whole app easier to code, respectively.

Views Step 3

When it comes to building an app with great design (something we focus on here big time!), it is important to understand a software design type called: MVC. Views are the the "V" in "MVC". Views are usually HTML files, or templates, which the user sees.
The back-end is what happens in "the cloud". The front-end is what happens on your phone or computer. They both have views!
We are dealing with what happens in the cloud, or the back-end. We will deal with the front-end in the next project.

Models Step 4

Models get data from your database (where all user information, messages, and photo information is stored). The models can also update the database. The models communicates with their respective controller (which we cover next) to communicate with your views (what the user sees, and what we discussed in the previous step). Now, that we're done with that...

Controllers Step 5

Controllers determine how cooresponding models' data should be presented to views. For example, maybe the user is accessing the information from a mobile phone... maybe they are not logged in... maybe they are an elephant. The controller takes all this stuff into consideration when determining what information to give to the view from the model, or from the model to the view.
You can think of the controller as the "middle man"... a middle man who is also a gatekeeper.

Routes Step 6

This URL:
yourapp.com/users
might give us a list of all users on our site. If so, the only way your app knows to give certain information based on a URL (or access certain controllers) is to look up the URL in the config/routes.js file. It's like a dictionary inside your app for what to load when a user goes to a certain place. You will help put this file together to complete finish the application. Many developers build this as they go, so they can test that what they are writing works.

Deploy! Step 7

Once you have completed 8 controllers, 7 models, 7 views, the server.js, package.json and config/routes.js files, you are ready to get the code. Your status will reach 100% once you've worked on enough files (25 of the files in the main homebroil folder), and you will get a zip file with the entire project, as well as instructions and a video tutorial on how to launch it into the cloud and make it go live. Once you have completed the front-end and back-end code, your full app will be ready to go live. You can customize it all you want, add features and more.
Let's do it!