Switching careers
Learn to code by building a construction site diary
The idea
A daily site diary where I note the work done, the weather, the workers on site and the materials used
This is the path the studio planned from the idea above. Yours is planned from your own words and from what you already know, so its steps will be your own.
Planned for: Complete beginner, never programmed · 8 hours a week · HTML, CSS and JavaScript, then Node and Express
Your first version
Site Diary
A daily site diary for civil engineers to record work, weather, workers, and materials.
What the studio would build first, and what it sets aside, read from the idea the way your own project's would be.
What it keeps
- Add a daily site entryCreate an entry with the date, work completed, weather, workers, and materials used.
- View the diary as a daily listSee saved entries in date order, with each day's work, weather, workers, and materials clearly grouped.
- Correct or remove an entryEdit mistakes or delete an entry that was added by mistake.
- Keep entries after closing the pageSave the diary in the browser so it is still there after a refresh or when the app is reopened.
- Review a quick site summarySee useful totals such as the number of workers recorded, materials mentioned, and entries added this week.
- Use the diary on phone or computerOpen the diary comfortably on a phone or larger screen, with clear spacing and visible buttons.
Later in your path
- Sync the diary through a serverMove saved entries to a Node and Express server so the same diary can be loaded on different devices.With a server
- Sign in and keep each diary privateLet each engineer have an account and store only their own diary entries in MongoDB.With a database and accounts
What it leaves out, and why
- Site photos and file uploadsPhotos need extra server and storage work, so they would make a beginner's first version too large.
- PDF and spreadsheet reportsReports are useful later, but the first version should focus on entering and finding diary data.
- Multiple projects and company teamsThese need permissions and more detailed records, which come after personal accounts work.
- Automatic weather lookupWeather can be entered manually in version one; an outside weather service would add an extra API.
- Offline mobile appOffline installation and syncing are later improvements after the browser version and server version work.
Your path
32 steps, about 47 hours
In the browser 8 steps · about 21 hours
- 1 Build the diary page 1
- 2 Style the site diary 1
- 3 Show the date for each entry 1
- 4 Add a daily site entry 1
- 5 Keep multiple diary entries 1
- 6 Render the diary list 1
- 7 Edit and remove entries 1
- 8 Keep and explain your project 1
With a server 13 steps · about 17 hours
- 9 Explain why Site Diary needs a server 2
- 10 Prepare the diary page for server sync 2
- 11 Run the diary server 2
- 12 Serve the diary page 2
- 13 Write the diary API contract 2
- 14 Show saved entries from the running server 2
- 15 Add full diary entry actions 2
- 16 Sync the diary through the API 2
- 17 Watch what a restart forgets 2
- 18 Keep diary entries after a restart 2
- 19 Protect the diary server 2
- 20 Prepare the diary server for a host 2
- 21 Plan the next diary improvement 2
Database and accounts 11 steps · about 10 hours
- 22 Show where Site Diary keeps its entries 3
- 23 Keep the diary in MongoDB 3
- 24 Move Site Diary's entries into MongoDB 3
- 25 Add and change diary entries in MongoDB 3
- 26 Add your Site Diary account 3
- 27 Sign in and open your diary 3
- 28 Link workers and materials to diary entries 3
- 29 Make every diary private 3
- 30 Run Site Diary with host-ready settings 3
- 31 Use the complete Site Diary 3
- 32 Present Site Diary as a full-stack project 3
Your app's map Site Diary
fetch /api/...
In the browser
Your server
Where data lives
What you will have proved
68 concepts
Every concept is one the path teaches, in the order it teaches them, after the ones it needs first.
In the browser
- Editor, preview, save
- Slice your idea into a first version
- HTML document and basic tags after Editor, preview, save
- Lists, sections and semantic tags after HTML document and basic tags
- Forms and inputs after HTML document and basic tags
- CSS selectors, colors, text after HTML document and basic tags
- Box model and spacing after CSS selectors, colors, text
- Hover, focus, disabled and error states after CSS selectors, colors, text, Forms and inputs
- Layout with Flexbox after Box model and spacing
- Responsive basics after Layout with Flexbox
- Variables and values after Editor, preview, save
- Finding elements on the page after Variables and values, HTML document and basic tags
- Strings, numbers, booleans after Variables and values
- Decisions with if/else after Strings, numbers, booleans
- Working with dates and times after Strings, numbers, booleans
- Functions after Decisions with if/else
- Reading errors and using the console after Functions
- Handling what can go wrong after Functions, Reading errors and using the console
- Responding to clicks and input after Finding elements on the page, Functions
- Reading and validating form input after Responding to clicks and input, Forms and inputs
- Arrays after Functions
- Loops after Arrays
- Objects after Arrays
- JSON after Objects
- Totals, sorting and grouping after Arrays, Objects
- Rendering a list from data after Objects, Finding elements on the page, Lists, sections and semantic tags
- Single source of truth after Rendering a list from data, Reading and validating form input
- Saving in the browser with localStorage after JSON, Single source of truth, Handling what can go wrong
- Create, read, update, delete after Saving in the browser with localStorage, Reading errors and using the console
- What a repo and a commit are after Editor, preview, save
- Write a README after What a repo and a commit are
- Explain your project out loud after Create, read, update, delete
With a server
- Why your app needs a server after Saving in the browser with localStorage, Create, read, update, delete
- Meet your workbench after What a repo and a commit are, Create, read, update, delete, Why your app needs a server
- Terminal basics after Meet your workbench
- npm and package.json after Terminal basics
- Splitting code into modules after npm and package.json, Create, read, update, delete, Why your app needs a server
- Asynchronous code after Functions, Reading errors and using the console, Why your app needs a server
- Git in your workbench after What a repo and a commit are, Terminal basics
- How HTTP works after JSON, Why your app needs a server
- Calling an API from the browser after Asynchronous code, How HTTP works
- What a REST API is after How HTTP works
- Node: JavaScript outside the browser after npm and package.json, Splitting code into modules
- Your first Express server after Node: JavaScript outside the browser, How HTTP works
- Configuration and secrets after Your first Express server, Git in your workbench
- Middleware, static files, errors after Your first Express server
- Serve the page you built, untouched after Middleware, static files, errors
- Write your API's contract and try it after What a REST API is, Your first Express server, Serve the page you built, untouched
- Keep data in memory and answer from it after Write your API's contract and try it, Middleware, static files, errors
- CRUD API for your resource after Middleware, static files, errors, Keep data in memory and answer from it, What a REST API is
- Move your app from localStorage to the API after CRUD API for your resource, Calling an API from the browser
- Keep data in memory and watch a restart wipe it after Move your app from localStorage to the API
- Reading and writing a JSON file after Node: JavaScript outside the browser, Asynchronous code, Handling what can go wrong, Keep data in memory and watch a restart wipe it
- Validate on the server after CRUD API for your resource, Reading and writing a JSON file
- What a host needs from your server after Move your app from localStorage to the API, Configuration and secrets, Validate on the server
- Ship, get feedback, adjust after Slice your idea into a first version, What a host needs from your server
Database and accounts
- Why a JSON file is not enough after CRUD API for your resource, Reading and writing a JSON file
- MongoDB: your first real database after Why a JSON file is not enough, Configuration and secrets
- Schemas and models with Mongoose after MongoDB: your first real database
- CRUD with MongoDB after Schemas and models with Mongoose, Validate on the server
- Signup with hashed passwords after Schemas and models with Mongoose
- Login and protected routes after Signup with hashed passwords, Middleware, static files, errors
- Relating documents after CRUD with MongoDB, Login and protected routes
- Users only see their own data after Login and protected routes, Relating documents
- Run it like production after CRUD with MongoDB, Configuration and secrets, Git in your workbench, What a host needs from your server
- Frontend and backend together after Run it like production, Move your app from localStorage to the API
- Portfolio and project story after Frontend and backend together, Write a README
- Interview on your full-stack project after Explain your project out loud, Users only see their own data, Frontend and backend together
What the checker will ask of you
Each step is checked when you press Check: in a real browser, or by starting your server and making requests. These are the first checks on this path.
1Step 1 · Build the diary page
The editor contains a saved index.html file, and the preview shows a Site Diary heading with diary and list sections.
1Step 2 · Style the site diary
The diary area and form sit in separate sections with spacing between them.
1Step 3 · Show the date for each entry
The preview shows today's date in the diary.
What people ask
What does it cost to build this?
Your first build is on us: one project, the phase in the browser, with the AI to build it. To start it, your bank puts a ₹1 hold on a card; it is released and never charged. Studio access is ₹6,999 once and opens every phase for 6 projects; nothing renews.
What do I need?
A browser and a card for the ₹1 hold. Nothing to install: the browser steps run in a live preview, and the server steps run in a private workspace of your own, with a terminal and git and your own MongoDB.
How long does it take?
This path is 32 steps, about 47 hours: at 8 hours a week, about 6 weeks. Your own path is planned from your idea and sized to what you already know.
Do I keep the code?
Yes. Every step you pass is kept, and you can download the whole project as a git repository with one commit for each step, or publish it to your own GitHub. The code is yours.