Beginner Path: Learn Sruja Without Overwhelm

Follow this small-steps plan. Each step has a clear outcome, takes 10–30 minutes, and gives immediate feedback.

[!TIP] Track your progress: Check off each step as you complete it. This path takes approximately 2–3 hours total.

Step 1: Getting Started ⏱️ 20–30 min

• Read: /docs/getting-started
• Outcome: CLI installed, first model created
• What you’ll do: Install Sruja CLI and create your first architecture file
• Success check: You can run sruja export mermaid hello.sruja and get a diagram

Step 2: CLI Basics ⏱️ 20 min

• Tutorial: /tutorials/basic/cli-basics
• Outcome: Run lint, fmt, tree, export commands confidently
• What you’ll do: Learn essential CLI commands for working with Sruja files
• Success check: You can validate, format, and export your architecture

Step 3: DSL Basics ⏱️ 25–30 min

• Tutorial: /tutorials/basic/dsl-basics
• Quiz: /quizzes/dsl-basics
• Outcome: Understand systems, containers, components, relations
• What you’ll do: Learn the core DSL syntax and concepts
• Success check: You can read and write basic Sruja DSL code

Step 4: Validation & Linting ⏱️ 15–20 min

• Tutorial: /tutorials/basic/validation-linting
• Challenge: /challenges/missing-relations
• Outcome: Fix common modeling errors
• What you’ll do: Learn how Sruja validates your architecture and catches errors
• Success check: You can identify and fix validation errors

Step 5: Export Diagrams ⏱️ 15–20 min

• Tutorial: /tutorials/basic/export-diagrams
• Outcome: Generate diagrams (D2, SVG) and Markdown
• What you’ll do: Learn to export your architecture in different formats
• Success check: You can export diagrams in multiple formats

Step 6: Practice Micro‑Challenges ⏱️ 20–30 min

• Challenge: /challenges/add-component
• Challenge: /challenges/fix-relations
• Challenge: /challenges/queue-worker
• Outcome: Build confidence with small tasks
• What you’ll do: Practice with real-world scenarios
• Success check: You can complete challenges without looking at solutions

Step 7: Systems Thinking ⏱️ 20 min

• Tutorial: /tutorials/basic/systems-thinking
• Outcome: Think in flows, dependencies, and constraints
• What you’ll do: Learn to model complex systems and relationships
• Success check: You can model a multi-system architecture

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Tips to Avoid Overwhelm

• Small steps: limit sessions to 20–30 minutes
• Visible outcomes: run a command or export a diagram every step
• One concept at a time: model, then lint, then export
• Use checklists: follow /docs/CONTENT_QUALITY_CHECKLIST when writing
• Ask for help: Discord and Discussions links in README

What’s Next

• Course: /courses/system-design-101/module-1-fundamentals
• Advanced tutorials: /tutorials/advanced/deployment-modeling

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Note: Sruja is free and open source (Apache 2.0 licensed). Join the community on Discord or GitHub Discussions for help and to contribute.