Getting Started
You have seen what Workbench can do in the trial experiences. Now it's time to start learning the tool properly.
How it fits together
When you worked through the trial experiences, you saw your Coding Assistant generate code from Workbench's design model and follow coding guidelines automatically. These are the building blocks:
Architecture projects are where you define the big picture — which services exist, how they relate, and what decisions govern the system. In the trial, you saw that we used a C4 model to describe the system through Context, Containers, Components.
Service projects live one level down. Each service has its own project in Workbench, where the technical specification for the service is documented. This includes: the API design, the internal domain model, integrations, persistence and business behaviour. This is the structured context your coding assistant reads from.
Open Modeling Language (OML) is Workbench's modeling system that defines the modeling vocabulary in your projects. It works through profiles — cohesive sets of element types, relationship types, and properties for a specific domain or concern. Workbench comes with standard profiles out of the box (C4 for architecture, DDD for domain design, ADRs for decisions) and you can define your own or combine multiple profiles in one project. Crucially, OML elements can carry properties, validations, and guidelines that are readable by both humans and AI — which is what allows your coding assistant to understand not just the structure of your design, but the rules and policies attached to it.
Project Baselines are configuration packages that connect your design model to your coding assistant. They include recipes — coding guidelines, technology definitions, implementation patterns, and commands — that your coding assistant picks up as skills and rules. When your AI generates code, it works from both the structured design model and the recipes your experts defined. This is what ensures every developer's AI generates code the same way, consistently, across every service.
Together, these four things create a continuous flow from architectural intent through structured guidance to working code — with your coding assistant bridging the gap.
First steps
Product basics
Essential training that covers the core concepts and features of Workbench — a good starting point before going deeper.
Build your first architecture model
Build an architecture model with an easy to understand example, teaching you the basics.