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CALM Tutorials

Welcome to the CALM learning path! These tutorials take you from zero CALM knowledge to modeling complete architectures.

Learning Path Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ YOUR CALM LEARNING PATH │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ 🟢 BEGINNER TUTORIALS │
│ ├── Setup & CLI │
│ ├── First Node │
│ ├── Relationships │
│ ├── VSCode Extension │
│ ├── Interfaces │
│ ├── Metadata │
│ └── Complete Architecture │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ 🟡 INTERMEDIATE TUTORIALS │
│ ├── Controls │
│ ├── Business Flows │
│ ├── ADR Linking │
│ ├── Docify │
│ ├── CALM Widgets │
│ ├── Handlebars Templates │
│ ├── AI Advisor │
│ ├── Ops Advisor │
│ ├── Ops Documentation │
│ ├── Patterns │
│ ├── Standards │
│ ├── Enforcing Standards │
│ └── Multi-Pattern Validation │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ 🛠️ PRACTITIONER TUTORIAL │
│ ├── Tool Setup │
│ ├── Understand the Business Context │
│ ├── Define Initial Architecture │
│ ├── Refine Architecture Definition │
│ ├── Generate Architecture Documentation │
│ └── Key Takeaways │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Start Here: Beginner

🟢 Beginner Tutorials

No prior CALM knowledge required

Learn the core building blocks of CALM architectures:

  • Installing and configuring tools
  • Creating nodes and relationships
  • Understanding interfaces and metadata
  • Building your first complete architecture

Time commitment: ~15-45 minutes per tutorial

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • Git installed
  • Node.js (20+) and npm installed
  • VSCode editor (version 1.96+)
  • GitHub Copilot access (optional but recommended, requires VSCode 1.106+)

Getting Started

  1. Start with Setup & CLI — Set up your CALM workspace and tools
  2. Work through each tutorial — They build on each other progressively
  3. Ask questions — Join the FINOS Architecture as Code community

Skills You'll Acquire

By completing all beginner tutorials, you'll be able to:

Create complete architecture documents from scratch
Model nodes, relationships, interfaces, and metadata
Use the VSCode extension for visualization
Build realistic multi-service architectures

Start your CALM journey →


Start Here: Intermediate

🟡 Intermediate Tutorials

Complete the Beginner Tutorials before starting here

Go beyond the basics and learn how to build richer, governance-ready architectures:

  • Adding controls and business flows to architectures
  • Linking Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
  • Publishing architecture docs with docify
  • Building custom templates and widgets
  • Using CALM as an AI-powered advisor
  • Creating reusable Patterns and organizational Standards
  • Enforcing compliance with multi-pattern validation

Time commitment: ~30-60 minutes per tutorial

Prerequisites

Getting Started

  1. Start with Controls — Add governance controls to your architecture
  2. Work through each tutorial — They build on each other progressively
  3. Ask questions — Join the FINOS Architecture as Code community

Skills You'll Acquire

By completing all intermediate tutorials, you'll be able to:

Add controls and business flows to architectures
Link Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) to architecture elements
Publish architecture documentation using docify
Build custom templates and widgets for visualization
Use CALM as an AI-powered architecture advisor
Create reusable Patterns and organizational Standards
Enforce compliance through multi-pattern validation

Start Intermediate Tutorials →


Start Here: Practitioner

🛠️ Practitioner Tutorial

Some CALM knowledge required, similar to what is covered in the Beginner and Intermediate tutorials.

Apply your CALM knowledge to build a complete, real-world architecture end-to-end with AI assistance:

  • Setting up your practitioner toolset
  • Understanding business context for architecture decisions
  • Defining and refining an initial architecture
  • Generating architecture documentation
  • Applying key takeaways for future projects

Time commitment: ~2-3 hours for the complete tutorial

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • Git installed
  • Node.js (20+) and npm installed
  • VSCode editor (version 1.96+)
  • CALM AI Assistant Copilot, Claude or KIRO AI Assistant is enabled
  • calm cli installed

Getting Started

  1. Start with Tool Setup — Configure your practitioner environment
  2. Work through each section — They build a complete architecture from start to finish
  3. Ask questions — Join the FINOS Architecture as Code community

Skills You'll Acquire

By completing this tutorial, you'll see how to use the CALM AI Assistant to:

Create complete architecture document from a business design
Enhance definition of nodes, relationships, interfaces, and metadata with organizational specific information
Use the VSCode extension for visualization
Generate views of the architecture
Learn best practices in working with CALM architectures

Start Building a CALM Architecture →