Finished spec
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Richard Littauer
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README.md
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README.md
@ -12,43 +12,57 @@ This repo is for standardizing how READMEs should look. The goal is to have:
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- A linter that can be used to look at errors in a given Readme;
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- A generator that can be used to quickly scaffold out new READMEs.
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There are many standards. This is mine.
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** Table of Contents **
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- [Installation](#installation-1)
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- [Installation](#installation)
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- [Usage](#usage)
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- [Contribute](#contribute)
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- [Specification](#specification)
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- [Requirements](#requirements)
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- [Sections](#sections)
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- [Name](#name)
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- [one-line description](#one-line-description)
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- [Title](#title)
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- [Banner](#banner)
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- [Badges](#badges)
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- [Short Description](#short-description)
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- [Long Description](#long-description)
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- [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents)
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- [Usage Section](#usage-section)
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- [API](#api)
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- [Installation](#installation)
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- [License](#license)
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- [Suggestions](#suggestions)
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- [Security](#security)
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- [Background section](#background-section)
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- [Conventions](#conventions)
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- [Installation](#installation-1)
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- [Usage Section](#usage-section)
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- [Extra Sections](#extra-sections)
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- [API](#api)
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- [Contribute](#contribute-1)
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- [License](#license)
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- [Contribute](#contribute)
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- [License](#license-1)
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## Background
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Standard Readme started with in the issue originally posed by [@maxogden](https://github.com/maxogden) over at [feross/standard](https://github.com/feross/standard) in [this issue](https://github.com/feross/standard/issues/141). A lot of that discussion ended up in [zcei's standard-readme](https://github.com/zcei/standard-readme/issues/1) repository. While working on maintaining the [IPFS](https://github.com/ipfs) repositories, I needed a way to standardize Readmes. This is a result of that.
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### Goals:
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1. A well defined **specification**. This can be found in the [Specification](#specification) section. It is a constant work in progress; please open issues to discuss changes.
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2. **An example README**. This Readme is fully standard-readme compliant.
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3. A **linter** that can be used to look at errors in a given Readme. Please refer to the [tracking issue](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-readme/issues/5).
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4. A generator that can be used to quickly scaffold out new READMEs. Please refer to the [tracking issue](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-readme/issues/6).
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5. A compliant badge.
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## Installation
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This project uses [node][] and [npm][]. Go check them out if you don't have them locally installed.
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```sh
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npm i -g standard-readme
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$ npm i -g standard-readme
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```
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## Usage
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Currently, this is only a Readme spec. There are plans to add [a linter](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-readme/issues/5) and [a generator](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-readme/issues/6).
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Currently, this is only a Readme spec.
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## Contribute
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Feel free to dive in! [Open an issue](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-readme/issues/new) or submit PRs.
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```
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$ standard-readme
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// Will output spec (this Readme)
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```
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## Specification
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@ -57,19 +71,19 @@ Feel free to dive in! [Open an issue](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-re
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A compliant README must:
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- Be called README.md (with capitalization).
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- Be a valid Markdown file.
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- Sections must appear in order delineated below. Optional sections may be omitted.
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- Must be new lines between each section.
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### Sections
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#### Name
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**Status:** Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- Must be first section.
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#### Title
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**Status:** Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- Must match repository name. If it cannot, there must be a note in the long description about why.
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- Must match package manager name. If it cannot, there must be a note in the long description about why.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Should be self-evident.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Should be self-evident.
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#### Banner
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**Status:** Optional.
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@ -78,12 +92,13 @@ A compliant README must:
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- Must appear directly after the title.
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#### Badges
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**Status:** Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- If present, must go beneath banner (if present), or beneath title.
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- Must be newline delimited.
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#### Short Description
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**Requirements:**
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**Status:** Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- Must be less than 120 characters.
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- Must start with `> `
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- Must be on it's own line.
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@ -94,34 +109,101 @@ A compliant README must:
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- Use [gh-description](https://github.com/RichardLitt/gh-description) to set and get GitHub description.
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- Use `npm show . description` to show the description from a local [npm][] package.
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#### Long Description
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**Status:** Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- Must have no heading.
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**Suggestions:**
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- If too long, consider moving to the [Background](#background) section.
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- Cover the main reasons for building the repository.
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#### Table of Contents
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Requirements: There must be a Table of Contents that links to the
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**Status:** Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- Must link to all Markdown sections in the file.
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- Must not have a Markdown header, `####`, but must be in bold, on it's own line.
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- Must start with the next section; do not include the title.
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#### Usage Section
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Suggestions: Cover promises/callbacks, ES6 here.
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#### API
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Requirements: Describe internal objects and functions, signatures, return types, callbacks, and events. Types covered where not obvious. Caveats.
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#### Installation
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Requirements: Installation command.
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Suggestions: Link to prerequisite sites for language. [npmjs][], [godocs][], etc.
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#### License
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Requirements: State License.
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Suggestions: Link to longer License file.
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### Suggestions
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#### Security
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**Status**: Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- May go here if visibility of security section is important. Otherwise, should be in [Extra Sections](#extra-sections).
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#### Background section
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Requirements: Motivation, abstract dependencies
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**Status:** Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- Cover motivation.
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- Cover abstract dependencies.
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- Cover intellecutal provenance.
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#### Conventions
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cb for callback
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num for Number
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int for Integer
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bool for Boolean
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etc.
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#### Installation
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**Status:** Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- Code block illustrating how to install.
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Subsections:
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- `Dependencies`. Required if necessary.
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- `Updating`. Optional.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Link to prerequisite sites for language. [npmjs][], [godocs][], etc.
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- Include any system-specific information needed for Installation.
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- Subsection for dependencies needed for install to work.
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#### Usage Section
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**Status:** Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- Code block illustrating common usage.
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- If CLI compatible, code block indicating common usage.
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- If importable, code block indicating both import functionality and usage.
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Subsections:
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- `CLI`. Required if CLI functionality exists.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Cover basic choices that may affect usage: for instance, if JavaScript, cover promises/callbacks, ES6 here.
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#### Extra Sections
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**Status**: Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- None.
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#### API
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**Status:** Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- Describe exported functions and objects.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Describe signatures, return types, callbacks, and events.
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- Cover types covered where not obvious.
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- Describe caveats.
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#### Contribute
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**Status**: Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- Link to `CONTRIBUTE.md` file if there is one.
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- State where users can ask questions.
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- State whether PRs are accepted.
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- List any requirements for contributing; for instance, having a sign-off on commits.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Be as friendly as possible.
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- Link to the GitHub issues.
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#### License
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**Status:** Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- State license initials or name.
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- State license owner.
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- Must be last section.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Link to longer License file in local repository.
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## Contribute
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Feel free to dive in! [Open an issue](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-readme/issues/new) or submit PRs.
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## License
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