Getting Started

Getting Started

🎯 Goal: Get from zero to a running microservice in 35 minutes

This section contains quick start guides to help you begin using the Banyan platform immediately. These guides focus on immediate results with minimal explanation - detailed concepts are covered in other sections.

Your First Hour with Banyan

Your Learning Journey
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
0min      5min           20min              30min        35min
│         │              │                  │            │
Setup     First          Call APIs          Understand   Next
Platform  Service                           Platform     Steps
│         │              │                  │            │
└─────────┴──────────────┴──────────────────┴────────────┘

Prerequisites Checklist

Before starting, ensure you have:

• ✅ Node.js 20 or later installed (Download)
• ✅ Docker and Docker Compose installed (Download)
• ✅ Basic TypeScript knowledge (variables, functions, classes)
• ⚪ Familiarity with microservices (helpful but not required)

💡 Best Practice: Complete all four guides in order for the best learning experience

Step-by-Step Learning Path

Follow these guides in order to build your first service:

Step 1: Installation

⏱️ Time: 5 minutes | 🟢 Difficulty: Beginner

What you’ll do:

• Clone the Banyan platform repository
• Start infrastructure with Docker Compose
• Verify all services are running

You are here: Installation → First Service → Call APIs → Next Steps

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Step 2: Your First Service

⏱️ Time: 15 minutes | 🟢 Difficulty: Beginner

What you’ll do:

• Create a new microservice using the CLI
• Write your first command handler
• Understand handler auto-discovery
• See your service register automatically

You are here: Installation → Your First Service → Call APIs → Next Steps

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Step 3: Calling APIs

⏱️ Time: 10 minutes | 🟢 Difficulty: Beginner

What you’ll do:

• Call your service via REST API
• Call your service via GraphQL API
• Use WebSocket subscriptions for real-time events
• Understand the API Gateway’s role

You are here: Installation → First Service → Call APIs → Next Steps

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Step 4: Next Steps

⏱️ Time: 5 minutes | 🟢 Difficulty: Beginner

What you’ll do:

• Explore what you just built
• Learn what the platform auto-generated
• Discover learning paths based on your goals
• Choose your next tutorial

You are here: Installation → First Service → Call APIs → Next Steps

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What You’ll Build

By the end of these guides, you’ll have:

my-first-service/
├── commands/
│   └── CreateItemHandler.ts      ← Processes state changes
├── queries/
│   └── GetItemHandler.ts         ← Reads data (with caching)
├── events/
│   └── ItemCreatedHandler.ts     ← Reacts to domain events
├── docker-compose.yml            ← Auto-generated
└── package.json                  ← Ready to run

Plus, you’ll understand:

• ✅ How to create microservices without infrastructure code
• ✅ How handler auto-discovery works
• ✅ How services communicate via message bus
• ✅ How the API Gateway exposes REST and GraphQL APIs
• ✅ How to call your service from external clients

Learning Time Commitment

Guide	Time	Difficulty	Focus
Installation	5 min	🟢 Beginner	Platform setup
Your First Service	15 min	🟢 Beginner	Service creation
Calling APIs	10 min	🟢 Beginner	API integration
Next Steps	5 min	🟢 Beginner	Learning paths
Total	35 min	🟢 Beginner	Complete getting started

After Getting Started

Once you complete these guides, choose your learning path:

Path 1: Hands-On Practice

Best for: Learners who prefer building real features

Continue to Tutorials:

• Build a complete Todo service (90 min)
• Add user authentication (2 hrs)
• Create a blog platform (3 hrs)

Path 2: Deep Understanding

Best for: Developers who want to understand architecture first

Continue to Concepts:

• Message Bus Architecture (20 min)
• CQRS Pattern (30 min)
• Event Sourcing (30 min)

Path 3: Specific Tasks

Best for: Developers with specific goals

Continue to Guides:

• Writing command handlers
• Adding authentication
• Implementing event sourcing

Get Help

If you encounter issues during setup:

1. Check prerequisites: Verify Node.js and Docker versions
2. Read error messages: Most errors indicate missing dependencies
3. Visit troubleshooting: Service Won’t Start
4. Check logs: docker compose logs -f service-name

⚠️ Warning: The platform requires Docker Compose v2.0 or later. Check with docker compose version.

Quick Links

• Installation Guide →
• Troubleshooting Common Setup Issues
• Platform Architecture Overview
• Example Services

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Ready to start? → Install the Platform (5 minutes)