Essential files for your code repository | by Jack Roper

…And how to use the CODEOWNERS file on GitHub for automation

12 min read

·

Nov 28, 2024

In this article, we will look at the files you will want to add to your code repositories to get your project off to the best start possible. A set of standards has been developed that enables you to create an organized and easy-to-understand repository, covering how to contribute, how to get support, and the licensing, amongst other things.

GitHub has a special CODEOWNERS file you’ll need to know about which we will jump into with specific examples. Let’s go!

A well-crafted README.md file is crucial for any repository as it serves as the first point of reference for users and contributors. This file acts like the repos homepage on GitHub.

• The .md extension is optional, but can help with syntax highlighting (standing for Markdown).
• The README.md file should be placed in either the root of the directory, in a folder called docs or in the hidden .github directory.
• When you setup a new repo on GitHub you can select the checkbox to create a README.md file

Example README.md

# Project Name



![Project Logo](link-to-logo.png)









## Table of Contents
- [Introduction](#introduction)
- [Features](#features)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [License](#license)
- [Contact](#contact)









## Introduction
Welcome to **Project Name**! This project aims to [brief description of the project's purpose]. It is designed to [explain what makes your project unique or valuable].









## Features
- Feature 1: Description of feature 1.
- Feature 2: Description of feature 2.
- Feature 3: Description of feature 3.









## Installation
Follow these steps to install the project on your local machine:






1. **Clone the repository**:
```sh
git clone https://github.com/username/repository-name.git
cd repository-name

The LICENSE file is used for defining the legal terms under which your project’s code can be used, modified, and distributed.

• The license file can have an optional extension of .md , .txt or .rst