backend-mindset

name	backend-mindset
description	Build robust backend systems — APIs (REST, GraphQL, gRPC), authentication (OAuth 2.1, JWT), databases, performance optimization, security (OWASP Top 10), scalability patterns (microservices, caching, sharding), and testing. Use when designing APIs, implementing auth, optimizing queries, handling security vulnerabilities, building microservices, or developing production-ready backend systems.
license	MIT
version	1.1.0

Backend Development Skill

References

File	Covers
.cursor/skills/backend-mindset/references/api-design.md	REST, GraphQL, gRPC — URL rules, status codes, protocol selection
.cursor/skills/backend-mindset/references/authentication.md	OAuth 2.1, JWT, RBAC, MFA, session management
.cursor/skills/backend-mindset/references/security.md	OWASP Top 10 (2025), rate limiting, headers, secrets
.cursor/skills/backend-mindset/references/performance.md	Indexing, caching patterns, load balancing, async processing
.cursor/skills/backend-mindset/references/architecture.md	Microservices patterns, event-driven, CQRS, scalability
.cursor/skills/backend-mindset/references/testing.md	TDD, test pyramid, contract testing, migration tests
.cursor/skills/backend-mindset/references/code-quality.md	SOLID, design patterns, refactoring signals

Quick Decision Guide

Need	Choose
Public / browser clients	REST or GraphQL
Internal high-throughput	gRPC
Flexible data fetching	GraphQL
Streaming	gRPC (bidirectional) or SSE
Single team, unclear domain	Monolith
Multiple autonomous teams	Microservices
Audit trail required	Event Sourcing
Read/write load imbalance	CQRS
Task >200ms off request path	Async queue
Session across instances	Redis (never in-process)

Defaults

• Every non-public endpoint requires explicit auth declaration — no implicit defaults
• Input validation at every system boundary (API handler, event consumer, file parser)
• Parameterized queries everywhere — never string-interpolate user input
• Rate limiting on auth endpoints, public API, and file upload (see security.md for thresholds)
• Integration tests hit real infrastructure (Testcontainers) — in-memory substitutes hide real bugs
• TDD: write the failing test before any implementation
• Services return result envelopes — never throw for expected failures (404, 400, 409)