The MERN stack can be seen as a collection of tools that share a common denominator that is the language, JavaScript. The book explores, in the form of recipes, how to build web client and server applications using the MERN stack following the MVC architectural pattern.
The model and controller of the MVC architectural pattern are covered by the chapters about building RESTful APIs with ExpressJS and Mongoose. The chapters cover core concepts about the HTTP protocol, type of methods, status codes, URLs, REST, and CRUD operations. Afterward, it moves to topics specific to ExpressJS, such as request handlers, middleware, and security, as well as specific topics about Mongoose, such as schemas, models, and custom validation.
The view of the MVC architectural patterns is covered by the chapter about ReactJS. ReactJS is a UI library that is component-based with a declarative API. The book's aim to provide the essential knowledge for building ReactJS web applications and components. Complementary to ReactJS, the book contains an entire chapter about Redux that explains from the very core concepts and principles to advanced features such as store enhancers, time travelling, and asynchronous data flow.
Additionally, this book covers real-time communication with ExpressJS and SocketIO to deliver and exchange data in real time.
By the end of the book, you will know the core concepts and essentials for building full-stack web applications with the MVC architectural pattern.