readme-craft

What this skill does

# README Craft

For general technical writing patterns, see `technical-writer` skill.

## Common Failures

- Installation first -> Lead with TL;DR and value prop
- Describes what it IS -> Describe what problem it SOLVES
- No examples -> One example per feature minimum
- Hidden limitations -> Dedicated limitations section
- Single install method -> Three+ pathways

## Golden Structure

### Tier 1: Hero Section

```markdown
<p align="center">
  <img src="logo.png" width="200" alt="Project Name">
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="..."><img src="https://img.shields.io/..." alt="CI"></a>
  <a href="..."><img src="https://img.shields.io/..." alt="Version"></a>
  <a href="..."><img src="https://img.shields.io/..." alt="License"></a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <b>One-line description of what problem this solves</b>
</p>

```bash
curl -sSL https://example.com/install.sh | bash
```
```

Badge templates: see [references/badge-reference.md](references/badge-reference.md)

### Tier 2: TL;DR

```markdown
## TL;DR

**Problem:** [Specific pain point users face]

**Solution:** [How this tool solves it]

| Feature | Benefit |
|---------|---------|
| Feature 1 | Quantified benefit |
| Feature 2 | Quantified benefit |
| Feature 3 | Quantified benefit |
```

### Tier 3: Quick Start

```markdown
## Quick Start

# 1. Install
curl -sSL https://example.com/install.sh | bash

# 2. Initialize
mytool init

# 3. Run core workflow
mytool process input.txt --output result.json

# 4. Verify
mytool status
```

**Rule:** 5-10 commands demonstrating the core workflow.

### Tier 4: Reference Sections

- Philosophy/Design decisions
- Alternatives comparison
- Installation (multiple methods)
- Command reference
- Configuration options
- Architecture (for complex systems)

### Tier 5: Support Sections

- Troubleshooting
- Limitations
- FAQ
- Contributing
- License

## Section Templates

### Comparison Table

```markdown
## Why [Tool] Over Alternatives?

| Feature | [Tool] | Alternative A | Alternative B |
|---------|--------|---------------|---------------|
| Speed | 50ms | 200ms | 150ms |
| Memory | 10MB | 50MB | 30MB |
| Feature X | Yes | No | Partial |

**Choose [Tool] when:** [specific use case]
**Choose Alternative A when:** [specific use case]
```

### Installation (Multiple Methods)

```markdown
## Installation

### Quick Install (Recommended)

```bash
curl -sSL https://example.com/install.sh | bash
```

### Package Managers

```bash
# macOS
brew install mytool

# Linux
apt install mytool  # Debian/Ubuntu
dnf install mytool  # Fedora

# Windows
winget install mytool
```

### From Source

```bash
git clone https://github.com/user/mytool
cd mytool
make install
```
```

### Command Reference

```markdown
## Commands

### Global Flags

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `-v, --verbose` | Increase output verbosity |
| `-q, --quiet` | Suppress non-error output |
| `--config PATH` | Use custom config file |

### `mytool init`

Initialize a new project.

```bash
mytool init                    # Interactive setup
mytool init --template minimal # Use template
mytool init --force            # Overwrite existing
```
```

### Troubleshooting

```markdown
## Troubleshooting

### Error: "Permission denied"

**Cause:** Installation script lacks execute permissions.

**Fix:**
```bash
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh
```

### Error: "Command not found"

**Cause:** Binary not in PATH.

**Fix:**
```bash
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc for persistence
```
```

### Limitations

```markdown
## Limitations

**Current constraints:**

| Limitation | Workaround | Planned Fix |
|------------|------------|-------------|
| Max 10MB files | Split large files | v2.0 |
| No Windows GUI | Use WSL | Under review |
| Single-threaded | Use multiple instances | v1.5 |

**Out of scope:**
- Feature X (use [Alternative] instead)
- Feature Y (not planned)
```

### FAQ

```markdown
## FAQ

<details>
<summary><b>Q: How does this compare to [Alternative]?</b></summary>

[Tool] focuses on [specific strength], while [Alternative] excels at [different use case].

</details>
```

## Pre-Publication Checklist

**Hero:**
- [ ] Logo/image present
- [ ] Badges current and working
- [ ] One-liner describes the problem solved
- [ ] Quick install command visible

**Content:**
- [ ] TL;DR within first scroll
- [ ] Every feature has an example
- [ ] Code blocks are copy-paste ready
- [ ] 3+ installation methods documented

**Trust:**
- [ ] Comparison with alternatives (honest)
- [ ] Limitations documented
- [ ] Top 5 errors in troubleshooting
- [ ] All links verified

## Anti-Patterns

| Do NOT | Do Instead |
|--------|------------|
| Start with installation | Start with value proposition |
| "This tool is a..." | "This tool solves..." |
| Screenshot-only demos | Executable code blocks |
| Claim without example | Example per feature |
| Hide limitations | Dedicated section |

## Reference Examples

Study these for excellent README patterns:
- **ripgrep** - Benchmark data, comparison matrices
- **bat** - Feature highlights, visual demos
- **starship** - Configuration presets, install matrix
- **jq** - Tutorial progression, manual linking