204 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
204 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
# Specification
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A compliant README must satisfy all the requirements listed below.
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**Requirements:**
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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 given below. Optional sections may be omitted.
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- Sections must have the titles listed below, unless otherwise specified.
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- Must be new lines between each section.
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- Must not contain broken links
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**Suggestions:**
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- A "Back to Top" link for longer sections can be useful, but is not required by any means.
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## Table of Contents
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_Note: This is only a navigation guide for the specification, and does not define or mandate terms for any specification-compliant documents._
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- [Sections](#sections)
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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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- [Security](#security)
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- [Background](#background)
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- [Install](#install)
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- [Usage](#usage)
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- [Extra Sections](#extra-sections)
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- [API](#api)
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- [Contribute](#contribute)
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- [License](#license)
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## Sections
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### Title
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**Status:** Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- Title must match repository and package manager names. If any of these don't match, there must be a note in the [Long Description](#long-description) explaining why.
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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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**Requirements:**
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- Does not require its own title.
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- Must link to local image in current repository.
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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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- Does not require a title of its own.
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- Must be newline delimited.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Use http://shields.io or a similar service to create and host the images.
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### Short Description
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**Status:** Required.
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**Requirements:**
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- Does not require its own title.
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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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- Must match the description in the packager manager's `description` field.
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- Must match GitHub's description (if on GitHub).
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**Suggestions:**
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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](https://npmjs.com) package.
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### Long Description
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**Status:** Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- Does not require its own title.
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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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- "This should describe your module in broad terms,
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generally in just a few paragraphs; more detail of the module's
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routines or methods, lengthy code examples, or other in-depth
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material should be given in subsequent sections.
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Ideally, someone who's slightly familiar with your module should be
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able to refresh their memory without hitting "page down". As your
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reader continues through the document, they should receive a
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progressively greater amount of knowledge."
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~ [Kirrily "Skud" Robert, perlmodstyle](http://perldoc.perl.org/perlmodstyle.html)
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### Table of Contents
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**Status:** Required by default, optional for READMEs less than 100 lines.
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**Requirements:**
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- Must link to all Markdown sections in the file.
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- Must start with the next section; do not include the title or Table of Contents headings.
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- Must be at least one-depth: must capture all `##` headings.
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**Suggestions:**
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- May capture third and fourth depth headings. If it is a long ToC, these are optional.
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### Security
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**Status**: Optional.
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**Requirements:**
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- May go here if it is important to highlight security concerns. Otherwise, it should be in [Extra Sections](#extra-sections).
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### Background
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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 intellectual provenance: A `See Also` section is also fitting.
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### Install
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**Status:** Required by default, optional for doc modules.
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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 there are unusual dependencies or dependencies that must be manually installed.
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- `Updating`. Optional.
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**Suggestions:**
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- Link to prerequisite sites for programming language: [npmjs](https://npmjs.com), [godocs](https://godoc.org), etc.
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- Include any system-specific information needed for installation.
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- If there is no code in the module - for instance, a document-based module - this section is not required.
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### Usage
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**Status:** Required by default, optional for doc modules.
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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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- If relevant, point to a runnable file for the usage code.
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- If there is no code in the module - for instance, a document-based module - this section is not required.
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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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**Suggestions:**
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- Does not require its own title, however the sections included within it must have titles.
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- This should contain any other sections that are relevant, placed after [Usage](#usage) and before [API](#api).
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- Specifically, the [Security](#security) section should be here if it wasn't important enough to be placed above.
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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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- If using an external API generator (like go-doc, js-doc, or so on), point to an external `API.md` file. This can be the only item in the section, if present.
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### Contribute
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**Status**: Required.
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**Requirements:**
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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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- Link to a contributing or contribute file -- if there is one.
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- Be as friendly as possible.
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- Link to the GitHub issues.
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- Link to Code of Conduct. This is often in Contribute, or organization wide, so may not be necessary for each module.
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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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