🟦 Backend Developer Roadmap — C# / .NET Edition

This roadmap is inspired by roadmap.sh/backend and fully tailored for C# + .NET.
It is structured for a 6–12 month learning plan, with skills, mini-projects, and recommended stack.

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🗂 Table of Contents

1. Web & Internet Fundamentals
2. C# Basics
3. .NET & Frameworks
4. Databases & ORM
5. Authentication & Security
6. Testing & Code Quality
7. Deployment & DevOps
8. Observability & Performance
9. System Design & Architecture
10. Final Projects (Portfolio)
11. Stack & Tools
12. Skills Checklist

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1. 🌐 Web & Internet Fundamentals

• DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, client–server model, status codes
• REST vs GraphQL vs gRPC
• WebSockets, SSE, long polling for real-time apps

Mini-projects:

• Create a simple HTTP server using HttpListener
• Implement a raw JSON API without frameworks

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2. 🟦 C# Basics

• Types, variables, classes, structs, enums
• Interfaces, inheritance, delegates, events
• Collections, LINQ, async/await

Mini-projects:

• CLI calculator
• Convert a small JavaScript project to C# console
• Mini console game or task manager

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3. 🏗️ .NET & Frameworks

• ASP.NET Core Web API (Minimal APIs, MVC)
• Middleware, routing, filters
• gRPC and SignalR for real-time communication

Mini-projects:

• REST API CRUD
• GraphQL API with HotChocolate
• Task manager API
• Real-time chat backend with SignalR

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4. 🗄️ Databases & ORM

• SQL Server / PostgreSQL / MySQL
• NoSQL: MongoDB, Redis
• ORMs: EF Core, Dapper, MongoDB C# driver
• Queries, joins, indexes, transactions

Mini-projects:

• Todo API CRUD with EF Core + PostgreSQL
• Blog API with MongoDB
• Add Redis caching to an API

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5. 🔒 Authentication & Security

• JWT, OAuth2, Google login
• Password hashing (BCrypt, PasswordHasher<T>)
• Security headers, CORS, HTTPS
• Input validation (FluentValidation)

Mini-projects:

• JWT auth API
• Google OAuth login
• Secure API with validation and password hashing

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6. 🧪 Testing & Code Quality

• Unit tests: xUnit / NUnit, Moq
• Integration tests: TestServer
• E2E tests: Playwright / Selenium
• Code quality: StyleCop, Roslyn Analyzers

Mini-projects:

• Unit tests for Blog API
• Integration tests for auth system
• Automate API testing with Playwright

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7. 🚀 Deployment & DevOps

• Configuration: appsettings.json, environment variables
• Docker + docker-compose for API + DB
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions / Azure DevOps
• Reverse proxy: Nginx / IIS

Mini-projects:

• Dockerize an ASP.NET Core API + PostgreSQL
• Deploy on Azure / Railway
• Configure Nginx as reverse proxy

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8. 📊 Observability & Performance

• Logging: Serilog, NLog
• Monitoring: Application Insights, Prometheus + Grafana
• Metrics: response time, errors
• Performance: async, memory pooling, caching

Mini-projects:

• Add Serilog logging
• Add monitoring + metrics
• Optimize API performance

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9. 🏛️ System Design & Architecture

• Monolith vs Microservices
• Event-driven architecture: RabbitMQ, Kafka
• CQRS + DDD with Mediatr
• API Gateway, Rate limiting

Mini-projects:

• Microservices for orders + notifications
• gRPC microservice
• Implement CQRS in an API
• Add API Gateway + throttling

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10. 📂 Final Projects (Portfolio)

Beginner:

• URL shortener
• Weather API wrapper

Intermediate:

• E-commerce API: products, cart, orders, auth
• Real-time chat backend with SignalR + Redis

Advanced:

• SaaS backend: subscriptions, roles, payments (Stripe API)
• Job queue system with Hangfire + Redis

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11. ✅ Stack & Tools

• Language: C# 11 / .NET 8
• Web Framework: ASP.NET Core 8, Minimal APIs, MVC
• ORM / DB: EF Core, Dapper, MongoDB Driver
• Auth / Security: JWT, OAuth2, ASP.NET Core Identity, BCrypt, FluentValidation
• Realtime: SignalR
• Testing: xUnit, NUnit, Moq, Playwright/Selenium
• Deployment: Docker, docker-compose, Azure, GitHub Actions
• Logging / Monitoring: Serilog, Application Insights, Prometheus + Grafana
• Message Queue: RabbitMQ, Kafka
• Job Queue: Hangfire

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12. ✅ Skills Checklist

• Master web fundamentals & HTTP
• Master C# and asynchronous programming
• Build REST APIs with ASP.NET Core
• Implement JWT and OAuth2 authentication
• Connect to SQL & NoSQL databases
• Add logging, monitoring, and caching
• Write unit, integration, and E2E tests
• Deploy using Docker and CI/CD
• Design microservices and event-driven architecture
• Build portfolio projects: Beginner → Advanced

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Official Resources:

• .NET Docs
• ASP.NET Core Docs
• Entity Framework Core
• SignalR Docs
• xUnit Docs
• Docker Docs

💡 Recommended Projects

These are portfolio-ready mini-projects to consolidate your skills:

• HTTP & C# Basics:
  • CLI calculator, To-do console app, mini quiz game
• REST APIs:
  • Notes API, Blog API, Task Manager API
• Realtime / WebSockets:
  • Chat server, live notifications, collaborative document editor
• Database Integration:
  • Todo app with EF Core + PostgreSQL, blog with MongoDB
• Authentication:
  • JWT login API, OAuth login with Google, secure session handling
• DevOps / Deployment:
  • Dockerized API + DB, deploy on Azure / Railway, CI/CD pipeline
• Advanced / Full-stack:
  • E-commerce backend, SaaS subscription system, job queue + notifications

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