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🟢 Beginner Tutorials

No prior CALM knowledge required

Welcome to the beginner tutorials! These seven tutorials will teach you the core building blocks of CALM architectures. By the end of this section, you'll be able to create complete architecture documents from scratch.

What You'll Learn​

TutorialWhat You'll Master
Setup & CLIInstall tools and initialize your workspace
First NodeCreate your first architecture component
RelationshipsConnect nodes with different relationship types
VSCode ExtensionVisualize and navigate your architecture
InterfacesDefine how nodes communicate
MetadataDocument ownership, versioning, and context
Complete ArchitectureBuild a realistic e-commerce system

Prerequisites​

Before starting, ensure you have:

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

Time Commitment​

Each tutorial takes approximately 15-45 minutes to complete, with the final capstone tutorial taking up to 60 minutes. You can work through them at your own pace.

Getting Started​

Ready to begin? Start with Setup & CLI →

Learning Path​

Setup & CLI
│
â–¼
First Node ────────────────────► "I can create nodes!"
│
â–¼
Relationships ─────────────────► "I can connect components!"
│
â–¼
VSCode Extension ──────────────► "I can visualize architectures!"
│
â–¼
Interfaces ────────────────────► "I can define integration points!"
│
â–¼
Metadata ──────────────────────► "I can document context!"
│
â–¼
Complete Architecture ─────────► "I can build real systems!"
│
â–¼
🎯 Ready to model your own architectures!

Tips for Success​

  1. Work through tutorials in order — Each builds on the previous
  2. Experiment — Try modifying examples to deepen understanding
  3. Ask questions — Use the FINOS community discussions
  4. Use AI assistance — The CALM Copilot chatmode accelerates learning