README
The tell-all and most visible file of your project
Last updated
The tell-all and most visible file of your project
Last updated
The README.md is the first file that people see in a project and probably the most read file of any other. The README answers “Why this project?” by providing the idea and purpose of the project along with future goals, where to look for help, and other important information. A README is open to what you want to put in it but below are some helpful starting points for it:
Again, why this project? Provide the idea and purpose of the project that you earlier decided on. This should be a clear and concise statement of what the project aims to do now and in the future. The purpose should make it clear what the project is used for and why it's useful. Additionally, the purpose gives possible contributors a sense of the project and if it’s something they are interested in.
This section should provide the user with a short guide on how to get started using the project. Are there any important details users need to know or things that can be tricky at first?
If your project has a smaller API then it’s important to give a thorough description of how to use it and what can be done with the API. Embedding code snippits is always a good choice!
If the API is large and requires a lot of space to thoroughly document, then direct people to where they can find the documentation in a separate location. This location should be better suited for holding larger amounts of information.
Discuss where a user can find help. Does your project have a community slack or discord? Should they reach out to you directly or to other contributors based on the type of question or issue? This is the place to answer all of the questions.
Adding some answers to FAQs can be useful in this section. Giving answers to those common questions can be the difference between receiving two or twenty questions per day.
A place to publicly shout out the other individuals who have worked hard on this project. Give thanks and praise to them in this section. Additionally, you can add a quick note at the end to look at the CONTRIBUTORS.md for more information on how to contribute.