Starting from zero

Learn to code by building a plant watering reminder

The idea

A list of my houseplants and how often each needs water, that shows which ones to water today

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 · 10 hours a week · HTML, CSS and JavaScript, then Node and Express

Change anything. Your path is planned from what you write, and from what you already know.

Your first build is on us. When you press Build, we check your card with a ₹1 hold that is never charged.

Your first version

Plant Watering List

A simple app for people who want to know which houseplants need water today.

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

  • Houseplant listSee your plants in a clean card layout with each plant's name, room, and watering details.
  • Add plantsAdd a plant with a name, room, watering frequency, and last watered date.
  • Manage plant detailsSee the page update from your saved plant data whenever you add, change, or remove a plant.
  • Today's watering listSee which plants need water today and mark a plant as watered to update its next watering date.
  • Save plants in the browserKeep your plants, watering dates, and notes after you close or reload the page.
  • Polish and explain the appAdd clear labels, helpful error messages, and a README so you can share the project and explain it in a developer interview.

Later in your path

  • Sync plants with a serverSync your plants with a Node and Express server so the app can load the same list from another browser while the server is running.With a server
  • Private accounts and saved plant dataCreate an account, sign in, and keep each person's plants private in MongoDB.With a database and accounts

What it leaves out, and why

  • Plant photosPhotos need file uploads and add more work to the first version.
  • Automatic watering remindersBrowser notifications and background reminders need extra permissions and more setup.
  • Different schedules for seasonsThis is a useful improvement, but a simple watering frequency is enough for version one.
  • Sharing plants with other peopleSharing works best after accounts, permissions, and private data are working.

Your path

34 steps, about 46 hours

In the browser 10 steps · about 19 hours
  1. 1 Start your plant watering list 1
  2. 2 Show your plant list 1
  3. 3 Add a plant form 1
  4. 4 Make the app easy to scan 1
  5. 5 Show a watering status 1
  6. 6 Give helpful watering results 1
  7. 7 Add plants from the page 1
  8. 8 Build your plant list 1
  9. 9 Save and manage your plants 1
  10. 10 Explain and document your app 1
With a server 15 steps · about 17 hours
  1. 11 Show where the plant list is saved 2
  2. 12 Open the plant app from your workbench 2
  3. 13 Save plants with clear feedback 2
  4. 14 Prepare the app to call a plant API 2
  5. 15 Start the server side of your plant list 2
  6. 16 Serve your plant app with Express 2
  7. 17 Write the plant API contract 2
  8. 18 Keep and show plants on your server 2
  9. 19 Manage plants from the app's API 2
  10. 20 Make the server the main plant list 2
  11. 21 Show what a server restart forgets 2
  12. 22 Save plants after a restart 2
  13. 23 Keep bad plant data out 2
  14. 24 Make the plant server ready for its URL 2
  15. 25 Finish and improve your plant watering app 2
Database and accounts 9 steps · about 10 hours
  1. 26 Show why the plant list needs shared storage 3
  2. 27 Keep plants in MongoDB 3
  3. 28 Manage saved plants in MongoDB 3
  4. 29 Create a plant account 3
  5. 30 Log in and protect plant routes 3
  6. 31 Give each user their own plant list 3
  7. 32 Run the backend for real 3
  8. 33 Use the full app from its server URL 3
  9. 34 Present the plant app as a developer 3
Your app's map Plant Watering List
fetch /api/...

In the browser

Your server

Where data lives

What you will have proved

65 concepts

Every concept is one the path teaches, in the order it teaches them, after the ones it needs first.

In the browser
  1. Editor, preview, save
  2. Slice your idea into a first version
  3. HTML document and basic tags after Editor, preview, save
  4. Lists, sections and semantic tags after HTML document and basic tags
  5. Forms and inputs after HTML document and basic tags
  6. CSS selectors, colors, text after HTML document and basic tags
  7. Box model and spacing after CSS selectors, colors, text
  8. Layout with Flexbox after Box model and spacing
  9. Variables and values after Editor, preview, save
  10. Finding elements on the page after Variables and values, HTML document and basic tags
  11. Strings, numbers, booleans after Variables and values
  12. Decisions with if/else after Strings, numbers, booleans
  13. Working with dates and times after Strings, numbers, booleans
  14. Functions after Decisions with if/else
  15. Reading errors and using the console after Functions
  16. Handling what can go wrong after Functions, Reading errors and using the console
  17. Responding to clicks and input after Finding elements on the page, Functions
  18. Reading and validating form input after Responding to clicks and input, Forms and inputs
  19. Arrays after Functions
  20. Objects after Arrays
  21. JSON after Objects
  22. Totals, sorting and grouping after Arrays, Objects
  23. Rendering a list from data after Objects, Finding elements on the page, Lists, sections and semantic tags
  24. Single source of truth after Rendering a list from data, Reading and validating form input
  25. Saving in the browser with localStorage after JSON, Single source of truth, Handling what can go wrong
  26. Create, read, update, delete after Saving in the browser with localStorage, Reading errors and using the console
  27. What a repo and a commit are after Editor, preview, save
  28. Write a README after What a repo and a commit are
  29. Explain your project out loud after Create, read, update, delete
With a server
  1. Why your app needs a server after Saving in the browser with localStorage, Create, read, update, delete
  2. Meet your workbench after What a repo and a commit are, Create, read, update, delete, Why your app needs a server
  3. Terminal basics after Meet your workbench
  4. npm and package.json after Terminal basics
  5. Splitting code into modules after npm and package.json, Create, read, update, delete, Why your app needs a server
  6. Asynchronous code after Functions, Reading errors and using the console, Why your app needs a server
  7. Git in your workbench after What a repo and a commit are, Terminal basics
  8. How HTTP works after JSON, Why your app needs a server
  9. Calling an API from the browser after Asynchronous code, How HTTP works
  10. What a REST API is after How HTTP works
  11. Node: JavaScript outside the browser after npm and package.json, Splitting code into modules
  12. Your first Express server after Node: JavaScript outside the browser, How HTTP works
  13. Configuration and secrets after Your first Express server, Git in your workbench
  14. Middleware, static files, errors after Your first Express server
  15. Serve the page you built, untouched after Middleware, static files, errors
  16. Write your API's contract and try it after What a REST API is, Your first Express server, Serve the page you built, untouched
  17. Keep data in memory and answer from it after Write your API's contract and try it, Middleware, static files, errors
  18. CRUD API for your resource after Middleware, static files, errors, Keep data in memory and answer from it, What a REST API is
  19. Move your app from localStorage to the API after CRUD API for your resource, Calling an API from the browser
  20. Keep data in memory and watch a restart wipe it after Move your app from localStorage to the API
  21. 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
  22. Validate on the server after CRUD API for your resource, Reading and writing a JSON file
  23. What a host needs from your server after Move your app from localStorage to the API, Configuration and secrets, Validate on the server
  24. Ship, get feedback, adjust after Slice your idea into a first version, What a host needs from your server
Database and accounts
  1. Why a JSON file is not enough after CRUD API for your resource, Reading and writing a JSON file
  2. MongoDB: your first real database after Why a JSON file is not enough, Configuration and secrets
  3. Schemas and models with Mongoose after MongoDB: your first real database
  4. CRUD with MongoDB after Schemas and models with Mongoose, Validate on the server
  5. Signup with hashed passwords after Schemas and models with Mongoose
  6. Login and protected routes after Signup with hashed passwords, Middleware, static files, errors
  7. Relating documents after CRUD with MongoDB, Login and protected routes
  8. Users only see their own data after Login and protected routes, Relating documents
  9. Run it like production after CRUD with MongoDB, Configuration and secrets, Git in your workbench, What a host needs from your server
  10. Frontend and backend together after Run it like production, Move your app from localStorage to the API
  11. Portfolio and project story after Frontend and backend together, Write a README
  12. 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 · Start your plant watering list

The preview shows a page titled “Plant Watering List”.

1Step 2 · Show your plant list

The page has a heading for the app.

1Step 3 · Add a plant form

The page has a form for adding a plant.

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 34 steps, about 46 hours: at 10 hours a week, about 5 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.

Pet health record Both teach Editor, preview, save, Working with dates and times, Reading errors and using the consoleTailoring order book Both teach Editor, preview, save, Working with dates and times, Reading errors and using the consoleConstruction site diary Both teach Editor, preview, save, Working with dates and times, Reading errors and using the console

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