Introduction

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, the journey from conceiving an idea to deploying a full-fledged application can come with challenges, learning opportunities, and a sense of achievement. The development of the Course Projects Manager, a CRUD MVC (Model-View-Controller) based full-stack web application designed to simply manage academic projects, has been one such journey for me. This blog post series, "A Full stack Journey," aims to share processes, insights, technical challenges, and solutions I encountered along the way.

Why Course Projects Manager?

To be honest, a big motivation behind creating the Course Projects Manager was to work on a new personal project to showcase my efforts and dedication to create applications and continue learning as I strive to build a career in web development. Nevertheless, as both a developer and a student, I wanted this tool to not only serve my needs but also be of use to other students.

Technologies Used

  • HTML5 | CSS3 | SCSS
  • Javascript ES6 | AJAX
  • PHP8 | SQL | MySQL

Key Features of Course Projects Manager

  • Authentication: Secure login mechanism to access course and project management features using PHP sessions.
  • Project Management: List projects by course, add new projects with details such as description and status.
  • Course Management: Add, edit, and delete courses as well as display a list of them.

You can find the source code and local installation directions for Course Projects Manager on my github

A Sneak Peak Into the Series

This series will address various aspects of the project, from structure decisions and technology selection to implementation challenges and user experience enhancements. Here's what you can look forward to:

  1. The Power of PHP and MySQL: An exploration of how these technologies were harnessed to build a robust backend.
  2. Frontend Dynamics with JavaScript and AJAX: Insights into creating a reactive user interface that enhances user engagement without page reloads for a seamless experience.
  3. Security Measures: A discussion on implementing secure user authentication and protecting user data privacy.
  4. Styling with Purpose Using SCSS: Lessons on leveraging SCSS for a flexible and maintainable design.
  5. Reflections on User-Centered Design: Intuitive placement, minimalism, and accessibility driven decisions for a smooth and inclusive user experience.
  6. Deployment and Continuous Improvement: The challenges and teachings of deploying a web application and the roadmap for future enhancements.

Conclusion

The development of the Course Projects Manager has been a rewarding full stack adventure, full of learning, growth, and motivation. Throughout this series, I aim to share the knowledge gained, mistakes made, and successes achieved. Whether you're a budding developer or an experienced coder, I hope these insights will inspire and inform your own development journey.

See you in part 2!