---
title: "Getting Started"
description: "Get up and running with TraceRTM, the multi-view requirements traceability system"
---

# Getting Started with TraceRTM

Welcome to TraceRTM, a hybrid, agent-native requirements traceability and project management system designed for modern software development. TraceRTM helps you manage complex projects with 16 professional views, 60+ link types, and intelligent automation.

## What is TraceRTM?

TraceRTM is a comprehensive requirements traceability system that provides:

- **16 Professional Views**: From features and code to tests, architecture, and monitoring
- **60+ Link Types**: Rich relationship modeling across hierarchical, dependency, implementation, testing, and operational categories
- **Intelligent CRUD**: Auto-generation, smart extension, and intelligent collapse
- **Agent-Native**: Support for 1-1000 concurrent autonomous agents
- **Event Sourcing**: Complete audit trail and time-travel capabilities
- **Multi-Platform**: CLI (Python), REST API (Go), Web UI (React), Desktop (Tauri)

## Why TraceRTM?

Traditional requirements management tools fall short in modern development:

- **Traceability Gaps**: Hard to track relationships between requirements, code, tests, and deployments
- **Multiple Views**: Features, architecture, tests, and infrastructure are managed in separate tools
- **Manual Updates**: Changes require updating multiple systems manually
- **Poor Agent Support**: Not designed for AI agents or automation

TraceRTM solves these problems with a unified, agent-native platform for complete traceability.

## Quick Overview

### Five-Minute Setup

Get TraceRTM running in 5 minutes:

```bash
# Clone and start infrastructure
git clone https://github.com/tracertm/tracertm.git
cd tracertm
docker-compose up -d postgres redis nats

# Start backend
cd backend
go run main.go

# Install and verify CLI
cd ../cli
pip install -e .
trace health
```

### Create Your First Project

```bash
# Create a project
trace project create "E-commerce Platform"

# Create a feature
trace item create <project-id> "Shopping Cart" --type feature

# Create implementation
trace item create <project-id> "CartService.go" --type code

# Link implementation to feature
trace link create <code-id> <feature-id> --type implements
```

## Learning Path

### 1. Installation (10 minutes)

Install TraceRTM on your platform:

- [Docker Installation](/docs/getting-started/installation/docker) - Recommended for getting started
- [macOS Installation](/docs/getting-started/installation/macos) - Native installation on Mac
- [Linux Installation](/docs/getting-started/installation/linux) - Native installation on Linux
- [Windows Installation](/docs/getting-started/installation/windows) - Native installation on Windows

### 2. Quick Start (15 minutes)

Get hands-on experience:

- [5-Minute Tutorial](/docs/getting-started/quick-start/5-minute-tutorial) - Basic workflow
- [System Requirements](/docs/getting-started/system-requirements) - Prerequisites and dependencies

### 3. Core Concepts (20 minutes)

Understand the fundamentals:

- [16 Professional Views](/docs/getting-started/core-concepts/architecture) - Multi-view system
- [60+ Link Types](/docs/getting-started/core-concepts/data-model) - Rich relationships
- [Traceability Matrix](/docs/getting-started/core-concepts/workflows) - Complete traceability
- [Agent Architecture](/docs/getting-started/core-concepts/workflows) - Autonomous agents

### 4. First Project (30 minutes)

Build a real traceability project:

- [Project Setup](/docs/getting-started/first-project/project-setup) - Create your first project
- [Define Requirements](/docs/getting-started/first-project/requirements) - Features and specifications
- [Create Test Cases](/docs/getting-started/first-project/test-cases) - Test coverage
- [Link Everything](/docs/getting-started/first-project/traceability) - Complete traceability

### 5. Basic Workflow (15 minutes)

Learn daily operations:

- [Development Workflow](/docs/getting-started/basic-workflow/daily-workflow) - Feature to deployment
- [Team Collaboration](/docs/getting-started/basic-workflow/team-collaboration) - Multi-agent workflows

## Key Features

### Multi-View System

TraceRTM organizes your project across 16 professional views:

**Core Views**: Feature, Code, Test, API
**Design Views**: Wireframe, Architecture, Domain Model, User Journey
**Infrastructure Views**: Database, Infrastructure, Configuration, Dependency
**Operational Views**: Data Flow, Security, Performance, Monitoring

Each view provides specialized tools for managing that aspect of your project while maintaining complete traceability across all views.

### Rich Link System

Connect items with 60+ link types across 12 categories:

- **Hierarchical**: parent_of, child_of, contains, part_of
- **Dependency**: depends_on, blocks, enables, requires
- **Implementation**: implements, realizes, satisfies
- **Testing**: tests, verifies, validates
- **Temporal**: precedes, follows, triggers
- **Operational**: deploys_to, monitors, alerts_on

### Intelligent Automation

TraceRTM automatically:

- Generates boilerplate items when you create features
- Extends existing items when you add related requirements
- Collapses redundant items to keep your project clean
- Tracks all changes with event sourcing

### Agent-Native Design

Built for autonomous agents:

- Register 1-1000 concurrent agents
- Heartbeat monitoring for agent health
- NATS-based message passing
- Multi-agent workflow orchestration
- Automatic conflict resolution

## Technology Stack

| Component | Technology |
|-----------|-----------|
| **Backend API** | Go 1.23+ with Echo framework |
| **Database** | PostgreSQL 14+ (pgx driver) + Neo4j (graph) |
| **Query Builder** | SQLC (type-safe SQL) |
| **Web UI** | React 19 + TypeScript + Vite |
| **Desktop App** | Tauri 2 (Rust + React) |
| **CLI/TUI** | Python 3.12+ with Typer + Textual |
| **Caching** | Redis 7+ |
| **Messaging** | NATS 2.9+ |

## Use Cases

### Software Development

- Track features from requirements to deployment
- Link code to requirements and tests
- Monitor test coverage across requirements
- Trace bugs to affected features

### Compliance & Auditing

- Complete audit trail with event sourcing
- Traceability matrix for compliance reports
- Time-travel to any point in project history
- Export traceability reports

### Multi-Agent Systems

- Coordinate multiple autonomous agents
- Track agent actions and decisions
- Resolve conflicts automatically
- Monitor agent health and activity

### Enterprise Projects

- Manage large-scale projects with thousands of items
- Support distributed teams
- Integration with existing tools
- Custom views and link types

## What's Next?

Ready to get started? Choose your path:

- **Quick Start**: [Install with Docker](/docs/getting-started/installation/docker) and complete the [5-minute tutorial](/docs/getting-started/quick-start/5-minute-tutorial)
- **Deep Dive**: Read the [Core Concepts](/user/concepts) to understand the architecture
- **Hands-On**: Follow the [First Project](/docs/getting-started/first-project) guide to build a real traceability project

## Getting Help

- **Documentation**: Browse the complete docs
- **FAQ**: Check the [Frequently Asked Questions](/docs/getting-started/faq)
- **GitHub Issues**: [Report bugs or request features](https://github.com/tracertm/tracertm/issues)
- **Discussions**: [Join the community](https://github.com/tracertm/tracertm/discussions)

Let's build something amazing with TraceRTM!
