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Richard Littauer 2016-05-13 12:20:03 -04:00
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@ -12,43 +12,57 @@ This repo is for standardizing how READMEs should look. The goal is to have:
- A linter that can be used to look at errors in a given Readme;
- A generator that can be used to quickly scaffold out new READMEs.
There are many standards. This is mine.
** Table of Contents **
- [Installation](#installation-1)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Contribute](#contribute)
- [Specification](#specification)
- [Requirements](#requirements)
- [Sections](#sections)
- [Name](#name)
- [one-line description](#one-line-description)
- [Title](#title)
- [Banner](#banner)
- [Badges](#badges)
- [Short Description](#short-description)
- [Long Description](#long-description)
- [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents)
- [Usage Section](#usage-section)
- [API](#api)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [License](#license)
- [Suggestions](#suggestions)
- [Security](#security)
- [Background section](#background-section)
- [Conventions](#conventions)
- [Installation](#installation-1)
- [Usage Section](#usage-section)
- [Extra Sections](#extra-sections)
- [API](#api)
- [Contribute](#contribute-1)
- [License](#license)
- [Contribute](#contribute)
- [License](#license-1)
## Background
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.
### Goals:
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.
2. **An example README**. This Readme is fully standard-readme compliant.
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).
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).
5. A compliant badge.
## Installation
This project uses [node][] and [npm][]. Go check them out if you don't have them locally installed.
```sh
npm i -g standard-readme
$ npm i -g standard-readme
```
## Usage
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).
Currently, this is only a Readme spec.
## Contribute
Feel free to dive in! [Open an issue](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-readme/issues/new) or submit PRs.
```
$ standard-readme
// Will output spec (this Readme)
```
## Specification
@ -57,14 +71,14 @@ Feel free to dive in! [Open an issue](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-re
A compliant README must:
- Be called README.md (with capitalization).
- Be a valid Markdown file.
- Sections must appear in order delineated below. Optional sections may be omitted.
- Must be new lines between each section.
### Sections
#### Name
**Status:** Optional.
#### Title
**Status:** Required.
**Requirements:**
- Must be first section.
- Must match repository name. If it cannot, there must be a note in the long description about why.
- Must match package manager name. If it cannot, there must be a note in the long description about why.
@ -78,11 +92,12 @@ A compliant README must:
- Must appear directly after the title.
#### Badges
**Status:** Optional.
**Requirements:**
- If present, must go beneath banner (if present), or beneath title.
- Must be newline delimited.
#### Short Description
**Status:** Required.
**Requirements:**
- Must be less than 120 characters.
- Must start with `> `
@ -94,34 +109,101 @@ A compliant README must:
- Use [gh-description](https://github.com/RichardLitt/gh-description) to set and get GitHub description.
- Use `npm show . description` to show the description from a local [npm][] package.
#### Long Description
**Status:** Optional.
**Requirements:**
- Must have no heading.
**Suggestions:**
- If too long, consider moving to the [Background](#background) section.
- Cover the main reasons for building the repository.
#### Table of Contents
Requirements: There must be a Table of Contents that links to the
**Status:** Required.
**Requirements:**
- Must link to all Markdown sections in the file.
- Must not have a Markdown header, `####`, but must be in bold, on it's own line.
- Must start with the next section; do not include the title.
#### Usage Section
Suggestions: Cover promises/callbacks, ES6 here.
#### API
Requirements: Describe internal objects and functions, signatures, return types, callbacks, and events. Types covered where not obvious. Caveats.
#### Installation
Requirements: Installation command.
Suggestions: Link to prerequisite sites for language. [npmjs][], [godocs][], etc.
#### License
Requirements: State License.
Suggestions: Link to longer License file.
### Suggestions
#### Security
**Status**: Optional.
**Requirements:**
- May go here if visibility of security section is important. Otherwise, should be in [Extra Sections](#extra-sections).
#### Background section
Requirements: Motivation, abstract dependencies
**Status:** Optional.
**Requirements:**
- Cover motivation.
- Cover abstract dependencies.
- Cover intellecutal provenance.
#### Conventions
cb for callback
num for Number
int for Integer
bool for Boolean
etc.
#### Installation
**Status:** Required.
**Requirements:**
- Code block illustrating how to install.
Subsections:
- `Dependencies`. Required if necessary.
- `Updating`. Optional.
**Suggestions:**
- Link to prerequisite sites for language. [npmjs][], [godocs][], etc.
- Include any system-specific information needed for Installation.
- Subsection for dependencies needed for install to work.
#### Usage Section
**Status:** Required.
**Requirements:**
- Code block illustrating common usage.
- If CLI compatible, code block indicating common usage.
- If importable, code block indicating both import functionality and usage.
Subsections:
- `CLI`. Required if CLI functionality exists.
**Suggestions:**
- Cover basic choices that may affect usage: for instance, if JavaScript, cover promises/callbacks, ES6 here.
#### Extra Sections
**Status**: Optional.
**Requirements:**
- None.
#### API
**Status:** Optional.
**Requirements:**
- Describe exported functions and objects.
**Suggestions:**
- Describe signatures, return types, callbacks, and events.
- Cover types covered where not obvious.
- Describe caveats.
#### Contribute
**Status**: Required.
**Requirements:**
- Link to `CONTRIBUTE.md` file if there is one.
- State where users can ask questions.
- State whether PRs are accepted.
- List any requirements for contributing; for instance, having a sign-off on commits.
**Suggestions:**
- Be as friendly as possible.
- Link to the GitHub issues.
#### License
**Status:** Required.
**Requirements:**
- State license initials or name.
- State license owner.
- Must be last section.
**Suggestions:**
- Link to longer License file in local repository.
## Contribute
Feel free to dive in! [Open an issue](https://github.com/RichardLitt/standard-readme/issues/new) or submit PRs.
## License