A basic template to use for all code.gov repositories which includes our standard documents and contact info. Using this as a base ensures that all of our community standards are followed.
Your project’s name is the first thing people will see upon scrolling down to your README, and is included upon creation of your README file.
A description of your project follows. A good description is clear, short, and to the point. Describe the importance of your project, and what it does.
Optionally, include a table of contents in order to allow other people to quickly navigate especially long or detailed READMEs.
Installation is the next section in an effective README. Tell other users how to install your project locally. Optionally, include a gif to make the process even more clear for other people.
The next section is usage, in which you instruct other people on how to use your project after they’ve installed it. This would also be a good place to include screenshots of your project in action.
Larger projects often have sections on contributing to their project, in which contribution instructions are outlined. Sometimes, this is a separate file. If you have specific contribution preferences, explain them so that other developers know how to best contribute to your work.
Finally, include a section for the license of your project.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact us:
- Open an issue
- Join our
#opensource-publicchannel on Slack: https://chat.18f.gov/