README

thumb|Screenshot of the README file of [[cURL]]

A README file contains descriptive information about the content of a directory in which the file is located. The scope of the information generally includes the files of the directory, and may include descendant directories, or even the full directory tree. The name is intended to draw a user's attention to important and orientational information about the directory content. A rule of thumb for one unfamiliar with the content of a directory is to read the README file before other files. Although the name README is often used, there are many other similar names used for the same purpose including "Read Me" and "READ.ME". Sometimes the file name includes an extension to indicate the file format such as "README.txt" for plain text or "README.md" for Markdown. In addition to plain text, various other formats and file extensions are also supported, The following table lists commonly-used file names along with content of what is commonly in the file. As with README, there are no formal standards that govern the file names nor the content of them. Yet, there are conventions as dictated by Gnits Standards and GNU Autotools.

:{| class="wikitable"

|README

|General information

|AUTHORS

|Credits

|THANKS

|Acknowledgments

|CHANGELOG

|A detailed changelog, intended for programmers

|NEWS

|A basic changelog, intended for users

|INSTALL

|Installation instructions

|COPYING/LICENSE

|Copyright and licensing information

|BUGS

|Known bugs and instructions on reporting new ones

|CONTRIBUTING/HACKING

|Guide for prospective contributors to the project

|FAQ

|Frequently asked questions and answers

|TODO

|Planned changes

See also

References

Further reading