Modern Full Stack Frameworks

A Practical Handbook for Students, Hackathons, and Startups

By Shashank Jagannatham (2025)

Overview

This handbook provides a comprehensive guide to modern full-stack development using current best practices and frameworks. It's designed for students, hackathon participants, and startup developers who want to build production-ready applications quickly and efficiently.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Frontend: React to Next.js
3. Backend: Node.js and Express
4. Database: PostgreSQL and Prisma
5. Caching: Redis
6. DevOps: Docker and Deployment
7. Putting It Together
8. Conclusion
9. References

Modern Stack Overview

This handbook covers the following technology stack:

• Frontend: React → Next.js (SSR, file-based routing, API routes)
• Backend: Node.js + Express (clean architecture, JWT auth)
• Database: PostgreSQL + Prisma (type-safe ORM, migrations)
• Caching: Redis (performance optimization, session management)
• DevOps: Docker + Cloud deployment (Railway, Render, Neon, Upstash)

Who This Book is For

• Students learning how real-world applications are built
• Hackathon builders who need to go from idea to demo in a weekend
• Startup developers building MVPs that can scale

Each chapter offers:

• Clear explanations of the technology
• Visual diagrams
• Hands-on exercises
• Mini projects to practice

Getting Started

Start with the Introduction to understand why modern full-stack frameworks matter, then work through each chapter sequentially. Each chapter builds on the previous ones, culminating in a complete, deployable application.

Key Takeaway

Modern full stack frameworks are about speed, reliability, and focus. They help you spend less time on setup and more time on building what matters.