Become a Rapid Developer

Module 1
Introduction
Module 1 - Introduction
1.1 Welcome
Welcome to the Rapid Developer learning path! It’s great to have you here!

This learning path is for everyone who wants to learn how to build apps with Mendix Platform. Whether you have
a technical background or not, by the end of this learning path, you will be able to use Mendix and create
awesome apps.

The Rapid Developer learning path consists of eleven modules:

• In Module 1, you will be introduced to this learning path. You will learn more about Mendix and where
you can find all the information you need.
• In Module 2, you will explore how Mendix supports Agile methodology and enables collaboration
between IT and business. That will allow you to quickly bring value to the market and to innovate.
• In Module 3, you will build the basic features of your app from scratch and learn about the Team
Server.
• In Module 4, you will see how you can add data to your app and structure it by using the Domain
Model.
• In Module 5, you will learn to create microflows, the custom logic of a Mendix app.
• In Module 6 and 7, you will learn about the Team Server and build more advanced microflows using
Mendix Studio Pro.
• In Module 8, you will learn how to expand your app with more advanced capabilities, such as data
validation.
• In Module 9, you will ensure the security of the data within your app. Users accessing data that they
are not supposed to can cause problems, and you will learn all you need to prevent that!
• In Module 10 you will learn how to add mobile-specific functionality to your app and allow your users
to access certain features while they are on the go.
• In Module 11, you will get some practical information about the Rapid Developer Certification, as well
as some tips on what you can do next.

The pencil is used to indicate an assignment. Go ahead and try it in your own Mendix environment!

The lightbulb is used to indicate a tip, or practical information that you might find useful!

Exam
When you complete this learning path, you can then take the exam to receive the Rapid Developer Certificate.
The exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, and you will need to achieve a score of 75% to pass. Then
you’ll be a certified Mendix Rapid Developer!

Get ready to have some fun, Mendix style!

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1.2 The Academy Interface
The Academy interface uses an intuitive, visual way of helping you reach your learning goals. It contains the
following elements:

Modules and Lectures

This learning path consists of multiple modules. Each module consists of different lectures. The lectures include
various pieces of content, such as:

• Video: Most of the lectures start with videos that are introducing the concepts that you are about to
learn. You might have already watched these videos while following the Mendix Basics learning path.
You can watch them again to refresh your knowledge before diving into more detail.
• Theory: Fundamental concepts and notions are explained in the theory lectures. A business case
(Jimmy’s Learning App) is used as an example for the various concepts. Some everyday examples are
also used to explain more abstract concepts, such as entities and functions. In some cases, illustrations
help visualize multiple processes.

The lightbulb icon is used to indicate a tip or practical information that you might find useful.

• Practice: The best way to learn is to put this new knowledge into practice! That’s why this learning path
contains many assignments and how-to’s. There are detailed step-by-step instructions on how you can
do all of the assignments. Keep up with the user stories, and help Jimmy build the app he is dreaming
of! If you want an extra challenge, follow the assignments without looking at the step-by-step explanation,
and then return to check if you did everything correctly!

The pencil icon is used to emphasize that you need to complete an assignment.

• Summary: At the end of each module you will find a short summary of what you learned!
• Knowledge check: Don’t forget to take the knowledge check in each module. If you answer most of the
questions successfully, then continue ahead to the next module. If not, then you might want to go through
the theory and assignments one more time before you move on. Don’t worry, you can take a knowledge
check as many times as you want, and the results won’t affect your certification exam!

Resources

• In many lectures, you can find various types of useful material that you can download. The most common
resources are: A .pdf version of each module, in case you’d prefer to access the content offline.
• The latest version of the project used in the business case (Jimmy’s learning app).
• Excel files that you can import to your project.

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 Feedback
If you have any questions or feedback regarding this learning path, please contact us via the Feedback button
on the right side of your screen. As we strive to offer the best learning experience to all Mendix users, your input
is highly valued!

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1.3 Mendix Platform
When we talk about the Mendix platform, we refer to all the tools and environments that you can use to build and
manage your apps. This includes everything you need in order to communicate with your team and other Mendix
developers, improve and showcase your skills to the world, and find help when you get stuck.

Tip
We will be introducing a lot of new places where you can find information you will need.
To keep an overview of the pages that are particularly useful to you, don’t forget to bookmark
them!

Let's explore the platform depicted above a little more - starting with Online Project Management at 12 o'clock
and moving anti-clockwise!

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 Online Project Management
One of the environments in Mendix platform you will use a lot is the Mendix Developer Portal. From there, you
can create new apps, manage your existing apps (or projects), and communicate with your project team. In
Module 2, you will get to know Mendix Developer Portal in more detail, as you will use it to create and manage
your own app.

The App Store

Mendix is where you download the development environment (Mendix Studio Pro) to start building your app. It
is also your go-to place for finding custom widgets (small components) and modules (complete features) that
you can use to build even more amazing apps!

In the future, you may want to use Google Maps to show users their location or be able to push notifications, for
example. You can download this functionality and more from Mendix App Store straight into your app. You can
even create your own custom content and share this with the world, or just your company, via the App Store.

Styling Your App

Need help styling your app and making it easy to use? Visit our Atlas UI site to see all of the out-of-the-box
widgets and building blocks that you can use to make your Mendix app more attractive and user friendly.

Do you want to know even more about building a user-friendly app? Once you’ve completed this learning path,
check our advanced learning path about UX, Creating Engaging User Experiences.

Mendix Studio
The latest tool in the Mendix platform is Mendix Studio. Without having to install software on your computer, you
can build your app directly in your favorite browser. What’s more, Mendix Studio is a WYSIWYG editor, which
means “what you see is what you get.” You can always see what your app will look like while building it!

Mendix Studio is meant for quick editing or building simple apps. You can use it to quickly build the basic features
of your app, but when it’s time to create more complicated features, you’ll need to switch to the Studio Pro.

Mendix Studio Pro

As a Mendix developer, you will spend most of your time in Mendix Studio Pro, because this is where you can
do all the heavy lifting when it comes to building your app. With Mendix Studio Pro, you can access all the
powerful features that Mendix Platform has to offer for app development. Mendix Studio Pro isn’t a WYSIWYG
editor, but it does have a lot more options than Mendix Studio. You will discover more about Mendix Studio Pro
and learn how to use it if you stick with us for this learning path!

If you're wondering why we haven't moved clockwise and covered Academy, Community and Support yet, there's
no need to worry - we'll discuss these more shortly!

1.3.1 Download Mendix Studio Pro

Mendix Studio Pro is a piece of software that you install on your computer and, as mentioned before, you can
get it from the App Store. Actually, let’s do that right now! Go to the App Store, download Mendix Studio Pro
8.6.0 (build 715), and install it on your computer. This process can take a while, so feel free to continue onward
to the next topic while Mendix Studio Pro is downloading and installing. If you need some guidance through
that process, see How to Install Mendix Studio Pro.

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1.4 Getting Help with Your App
We’ve already discussed the Mendix Platform and introduced Online Project Management, the App Store, styling
your app, as well as Mendix Studio and Mendix Studio Pro - now let's move clockwise on the diagram! In your
life as a Mendix developer, there may come a time when you need some help with your app. Perhaps you want
to know more about how you can give your app a unique look and feel, or you can’t figure out how to build a
certain functionality, or all of a sudden, your app won’t open in Mendix Studio anymore. Don’t worry, we’ve got
you covered!

Mendix Academy
Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, a businessperson building apps or an experienced technical
developer, an enterprise architect or a designer, Mendix covers content for all types of users and all skill levels
to help you accomplish your desired task. Here you will find not only this learning path, but also more advanced
topics and interesting webinars. The content will be regularly updated and extended, so come back every now
and then to stay informed and keep on improving!

Mendix Community
The Mendix Community is important to know and take advantage of because this is where you can communicate
with other Mendix developers, collect points and badges to showcase your Mendix skills, and find help when you
get stuck.

The Mendix Community publishes the Developer Blog and the Community Blog. The Mendix Developer Blog
features posts written by Mendix employees about the latest features of the platform and interesting demos. The
Community Blog showcases posts written by our community, so when you write some content about Mendix,
don’t forget to share it on the Community Blog!

On Mendix you can check whether someone has already asked the same question you have (and hopefully
received an answer that solves your problem). If you have a new question, feel free to post it on the Forum, and
our community will help you out! Want to return the favor? If you see a question that you know the answer to,
feel free to share your knowledge. The person who asked the question will greatly appreciate this! Plus, you
could even earn a badge!

When you aren’t sure how to use a certain feature of the Mendix Platform, see if you can find information on this
topic in our documentation. Here, you will find the complete Mendix Reference Guide and interesting how-to’s to
help you out. The information in the documentation can be a bit technical, so if you need more help (or if you
can’t find what you’re looking for), the next step is to try Mendix Forum.

Tip
From within Mendix Studio Pro, press the F1 key on your keyboard to immediately go to
Mendix documentation.

If All Else Fails…

If the problem doesn’t lie with how to style or build your app, and something really appears to be broken (for
example, you can’t even visit or edit your app anymore), contact our Support Team, and they will do their absolute
best to help you out!

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 1.4.1 Set Up Your Community Profile
Now you know quite a bit about Mendix. So, it’s time for us—and the Mendix community—to get to know you a
little bit better! To introduce yourself, set up your Community Profile.

Do you see the grey Mendix badge? It represents your Mendix level. Once you’ve completed this learning path
and passed the certification exam, you will be a Rapid Developer. This badge will become green, and everyone
will be able to see that you know how to build apps with Mendix!

Click the settings icon to add your skills and write a summary about yourself.

What’s next? Do you want to change your profile picture? You can do that on the Profile Settings page. Click
General Information in the menu on the left and then Edit Avatar to change your profile picture.

Don’t forget to Save your changes!

After you fill in all the information needed, you can make your profile public under the Advanced tab of the
settings menu. Just scroll to the Profile Visibility section at the bottom of the page and click Make my profile
public.

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1.5
Something not working?

• Contact Mendix Community

Mendix Forum is where you can find help when you get stuck or help others when you know the answer! You
can first check whether someone has already asked the question you have. If not, feel free to post it and our
community will help you out! After all, you gain points when you do so ;)

• Submit a Support ticket

If something really appears to be broken from a technical point of view (for example, you can’t even visit or edit
your app anymore), contact our Support Team, and they will do their absolute best to help you out!

Got some feedback?

• Submit a Feedback item

If you find some mistake in the instructions, like a typo or something not being clear, contact Mendix
Academy via the Feedback button on the right side of your screen. Point your mouse to the mistake you are
referring to, and add a comment. Don't forget to add the learning path and lecture you are referring to.

• Fill in the Survey

At the end of each learning path, you will be asked to fill in a survey. Please tell us what you think!

1.5 Summary
Congratulations! In this module you learned:
• What Mendix is and how it can help you work more effectively

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 • What the Mendix Platform consists of
• Where you can find the information that you need while building your app
• Where you can share your knowledge with fellow Mendix users
• Where you can further improve your knowledge.
• How to download and install Mendix Studio Pro
• How to set up your Community Profile
• How to change your avatar

Buckle up and start your app-creating journey!

1.6 Knowledge Check

1. A critical success factor for companies working with Mendix is:
a. Implementing the waterfall project management approach
b. Working in small cross-functional teams
c. Working individually on projects depending on expertise
d. Knowing object-oriented programming

2. You want to share something on the App Store. You want it to be visible only to people in your
company. Is this possible?
a. True
b. False

3. What is Mendix Studio?

a. A CRM tool that offers out of the box CRM capabilities.
b. A Business Process Management tool to model and manage your company’s workflow.
c. A WYSISYG tool to create, develop, and deploy innovative apps at light speed.
d. A tool to analyze big data using advanced Business Intelligence algorithms.

Answers:
1-b, 2-a, 3-c

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 Mendix is the fastest and easiest platform to build and
continuously improve mobile and web applications at scale.
Recognized as a market leader by leading analysts, we help our
customers digitally transform their organizations and industries by
building, managing, and improving apps at unprecedented speed
and scale. More than 4,000 forward-thinking enterprises, including
Kuehne + Nagel, KLM, Philips and North Carolina State University
use our platform to build business applications to delight their
customers and improve operational efficiency.

Learn more at Mendix.com

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