dmccreary README Generator
Generate or update a comprehensive README.md file for GitHub repositories following best practices.
Purpose
This skill automates the creation of professional, well-structured README.md files for GitHub repositories. It generates all essential sections including badges for technologies used, project overview, site metrics, getting started instructions, project structure, and contact information. The skill is particularly optimized for MkDocs-based intelligent textbook projects but can be adapted for any repository type.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
- Starting a new GitHub repository that needs a README.md
- Updating an existing README.md to follow best practices
- After significant project changes that should be documented
- Before publishing or sharing a repository
- When migrating from another documentation system
- After adding new technologies or dependencies
Workflow
Step 1: Analyze Repository Context
Before generating the README, gather information about the repository:
- Check if README.md already exists in the root directory
- Identify the repository name from
.git/configor the working directory - Read
mkdocs.ymlif it exists to extract:- Site name
- Site description
- Site URL (for GitHub Pages link)
- Repository URL
- Check for documentation in
/docsdirectory - Identify technologies used (look for package.json, requirements.txt, mkdocs.yml, etc.)
User Dialog Triggers:
- If README.md exists: Ask "README.md already exists. Would you like to update it or create a backup first?"
- If repository URL not found: Ask "What is the GitHub repository URL? (e.g., https://github.com/username/repo-name)"
- If site URL not configured: Ask "Is this site deployed to GitHub Pages? If yes, what's the URL?"
Step 2: Generate Badges
Create badges for all relevant technologies and platforms. Use shields.io format for consistency.
Badge Order:
- MkDocs (if mkdocs.yml exists)
- MkDocs Material (if theme is Material)
- GitHub Pages live badge (if site is deployed)
- Claude Code badge
- Claude Skills badge (if .claude/skills or skills/ directory exists)
- License badge
- Additional technology badges (Python, JavaScript, p5.js, etc.)
Do NOT include a "GitHub repo" badge that links the README back to its own repository. Anyone reading the README is already on GitHub (or already has the repo cloned), so a self-link adds no value. The GitHub Pages badge is fine because it points to a different surface (the published site).
Badge Templates:
[](https://www.mkdocs.org/)
[](https://squidfunk.github.io/mkdocs-material/)
[](SITE_URL)
[](https://claude.ai/code)
[](https://github.com/dmccreary/ibook-skills)
Check for these additional badges:
- p5.js:
[](https://p5js.org/) - Python:
[](https://www.python.org/) - JavaScript:
[](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript)
Step 3: Add License Badge
Look for license information in:
LICENSEfile in rootdocs/license.mdmkdocs.yml(copyright field)
Default to Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 if not specified:
[](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Other common licenses:
- MIT:
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT) - Apache 2.0:
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/Apache-2.0) - GPL-3.0:
[](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0)
Step 4: Create Website Link Section
After badges, add a prominent link to the live website (if deployed):
## View the Live Site
Visit the interactive textbook at: [https://username.github.io/repo-name](https://username.github.io/repo-name)
Step 5: Write Overview/Short Description
Create a compelling 1-3 paragraph overview that answers:
- What is this project?
- Who is it for?
- Why is it valuable?
- What makes it unique or special?
Guidelines:
- Keep it concise but engaging
- Use active voice
- Highlight key features or benefits
- Mention the educational framework if applicable
- For textbooks: mention target audience (grade level, prerequisites)
Example for Intelligent Textbook:
## Overview
This is an interactive, AI-generated intelligent textbook on [TOPIC] designed for [AUDIENCE]. Built using MkDocs with the Material theme, it incorporates learning graphs, concept dependencies, interactive MicroSims (p5.js simulations), and AI-assisted content generation.
The textbook follows Bloom's Taxonomy (2001 revision) for learning outcomes and uses concept dependency graphs to ensure proper prerequisite sequencing. All content is generated and curated using Claude AI skills, making it a Level 2+ intelligent textbook with interactive elements.
Whether you're a student learning [TOPIC] for the first time or an educator looking for structured course materials, this textbook provides comprehensive coverage with hands-on interactive elements that make complex concepts accessible and engaging.
Step 6: Add Site Status and Metrics
Gather and display project metrics to show completeness and scope.
Read the canonical metrics file — do NOT re-derive counts.
Book-wide totals are the single source of truth in
docs/learning-graph/book-metrics.json (produced by the book-metrics tool and
validated against src/book-metrics/book-metrics.schema.json). README metrics
MUST come from this file so the README, LinkedIn announcement, and case-study
card all show identical numbers.
# 1. Make sure the file is fresh (regenerate if missing or stale):
bk-generate-book-metrics 2>/dev/null \
|| python3 "$BK_HOME/src/book-metrics/book-metrics.py" docs
# 2. Read the totals:
python3 - <<'PY'
import json, pathlib
m = json.loads(pathlib.Path("docs/learning-graph/book-metrics.json").read_text())["metrics"]
for k in ("concepts","chapters","microsims","glossaryTerms","faqs",
"quizQuestions","words","diagrams","references","equivalentPages",
"developmentStage"):
print(f"{k}: {m.get(k)}")
PY
The metrics object provides: concepts, chapters, microsims, stories,
glossaryTerms, faqs, quizQuestions, chapterQuizzes, chapterReferences,
references, diagrams, equations, words, links, appendices,
mascotImages, developmentStage, and equivalentPages. For identity
fields (title, author, repo URL, license) read book-metadata.json /
mkdocs.yml.
Only fall back to scripts/collect-site-metrics.py (markdown/image scanning)
for counts the metrics file does not provide — e.g. image-asset counts or
code-block counts. Never recount concepts/chapters/words by hand.
Format as a table:
## Site Status and Metrics
| Metric | Count |
|--------|-------|
| Concepts in Learning Graph | 200 |
| Chapters | 13 |
| Markdown Files | 87 |
| Total Words | 45,230 |
| MicroSims | 12 |
| Glossary Terms | 187 |
| FAQ Questions | 42 |
| Quiz Questions | 156 |
| Images | 34 |
| References | 28 |
**Completion Status:** Approximately 85% complete (content generation phase)
Book-Specific Metrics:
For specialized textbooks, add domain-specific metrics:
- Circuits textbook: Number of circuit diagrams, simulations
- History textbook: Number of timelines, maps, primary source documents
- Programming textbook: Number of code examples, exercises, projects
- Math textbook: Number of equations, proofs, worked examples
Step 7: Add Getting Started Section
Provide clear instructions for using and customizing the project.
Standard sections:
- Prerequisites (if any)
- Clone the Repository
- Installation (if dependencies needed)
- Building the Site
- Local Development
- Deployment
Example:
## Getting Started
### Clone the Repository
```bash
git clone https://github.com/username/repo-name.git
cd repo-name
Install Dependencies
This project uses MkDocs with the Material theme:
pip install mkdocs
pip install mkdocs-material
Build and Serve Locally
Build the site:
mkdocs build
Serve locally for development (with live reload):
mkdocs serve
Open your browser to http://localhost:8000
Deploy to GitHub Pages
mkdocs gh-deploy
This will build the site and push it to the gh-pages branch.
Using the Book
Navigation:
- Use the left sidebar to browse chapters
- Click on the search icon to search all content
- Each chapter includes quizzes and practice exercises
Interactive MicroSims:
- Found in the "MicroSims" section
- Each simulation runs standalone in your browser
- Adjust parameters with sliders and controls
Customization:
- Edit markdown files in
docs/to modify content - Modify
mkdocs.ymlto change site structure - Add your own MicroSims in
docs/sims/ - Customize theme in
docs/css/extra.css
### Step 8: Document Repository Structure
Create an ASCII tree diagram showing the repository structure with explanatory comments.
**Use this approach:**
- Don't list every single file
- Show representative examples
- Add comments explaining each major directory
- Keep it concise (10-20 lines)
**Example:**
```markdown
## Repository Structure
repo-name/ ├── docs/ # MkDocs documentation source │ ├── chapters/ # Chapter content │ │ ├── 01-intro/ │ │ │ ├── index.md # Chapter markdown │ │ │ └── quiz.md # Chapter quiz │ │ └── 02-concepts/ │ ├── sims/ # Interactive p5.js MicroSims │ │ ├── graph-viewer/ │ │ │ ├── main.html # Standalone simulation │ │ │ └── index.md # Documentation │ ├── learning-graph/ # Learning graph data and analysis │ │ ├── learning-graph.csv # Concept dependencies │ │ ├── learning-graph.json # vis-network format │ │ └── quality-metrics.md # Quality analysis │ ├── glossary.md # ISO 11179-compliant definitions │ ├── faq.md # Frequently asked questions │ └── references.md # Curated references ├── skills/ # Claude AI skills (if present) │ └── [skill-name]/ │ ├── SKILL.md # Skill definition │ └── *.py # Supporting scripts ├── mkdocs.yml # MkDocs configuration └── README.md # This file
Step 9: Add Issue Reporting Section
Direct users to the GitHub Issues page:
## Reporting Issues
Found a bug, typo, or have a suggestion for improvement? Please report it:
[GitHub Issues](https://github.com/username/repo-name/issues)
When reporting issues, please include:
- Description of the problem or suggestion
- Steps to reproduce (for bugs)
- Expected vs actual behavior
- Screenshots (if applicable)
- Browser/environment details (for MicroSims)
Step 10: Add License Information
Reinforce licensing terms and attribution requirements:
## License
This work is licensed under the [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
**You are free to:**
- Share — copy and redistribute the material
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
**Under the following terms:**
- **Attribution** — Give appropriate credit with a link to the original
- **NonCommercial** — No commercial use without permission
- **ShareAlike** — Distribute contributions under the same license
See [LICENSE.md](docs/license.md) for full details.
Step 11: Add Acknowledgements
Express gratitude to the open source community and key projects:
## Acknowledgements
This project is built on the shoulders of giants in the open source community:
- **[MkDocs](https://www.mkdocs.org/)** - Static site generator optimized for project documentation
- **[Material for MkDocs](https://squidfunk.github.io/mkdocs-material/)** - Beautiful, responsive theme
- **[p5.js](https://p5js.org/)** - Creative coding library from NYU ITP
- **[vis-network](https://visjs.org/)** - Network visualization library for learning graphs
- **[Python](https://www.python.org/)** community - Data processing and analysis tools
- **[Claude AI](https://claude.ai)** by Anthropic - AI-assisted content generation
- **[GitHub Pages](https://pages.github.com/)** - Free hosting for open source projects
Special thanks to the educators and developers who contribute to making educational resources accessible and interactive.
Customize based on actual dependencies:
- Add Chart.js if using bubble charts
- Add Mermaid if using diagrams
- Add specific Python libraries if used (pandas, numpy, etc.)
- Add any other key dependencies
Step 12: Add Contact Section
Provide a way for users to reach out:
## Contact
**Dan McCreary**
- LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/in/danmccreary](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmccreary/)
- GitHub: [@dmccreary](https://github.com/dmccreary)
Questions, suggestions, or collaboration opportunities? Feel free to connect on LinkedIn or open an issue on GitHub.
Customize with actual maintainer information:
- Replace with repository owner's name
- Update LinkedIn URL
- Update GitHub username
- Add email if desired (optional)
- Add website/blog if relevant
Step 13: Add Optional Sections
Include these sections if relevant to the project:
Contributing Guidelines:
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! To contribute:
1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)
3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)
4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
5. Open a Pull Request
Please read [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for detailed guidelines.
Citation Information:
## How to Cite
If you use this textbook in your research or teaching, please cite it as:
[Author Name]. (2024). [Textbook Title]. GitHub. https://github.com/username/repo-name
BibTeX:
```bibtex
@misc{repo-name-2024,
author = {[Author Name]},
title = {[Textbook Title]},
year = {2024},
publisher = {GitHub},
url = {https://github.com/username/repo-name}
}
**Changelog:**
```markdown
## Changelog
See [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) for a detailed history of changes.
**Recent Updates:**
- v1.0.0 (2024-11-11): Initial release with 13 chapters
- v0.9.0 (2024-11-01): Added 12 MicroSims and interactive elements
- v0.5.0 (2024-10-15): Completed learning graph and chapter structure
Step 14: Validate and Format
Before finalizing the README:
- Check all links - Verify GitHub URLs, site URLs, badge URLs
- Validate markdown - Ensure proper formatting
- Test locally - Render README on GitHub to check appearance
- Spell check - Review for typos and grammar
- Consistency - Ensure terminology matches project docs
Quality checklist:
- All badges render correctly
- Repository URL is correct
- Live site URL works (if applicable)
- Metrics are accurate and current
- Code blocks have proper syntax highlighting
- Links are not broken
- Table of contents matches sections (if auto-generated)
- License information is clear
- Contact information is current
Step 15: Write README.md
Generate the final README.md file in the repository root with all sections in order:
- Title (H1) with repository name
- Badges
- Live site link (if applicable)
- Overview
- Site Status and Metrics
- Getting Started
- Repository Structure
- Reporting Issues
- License
- Acknowledgements
- Contact
- Optional sections (Contributing, Citation, Changelog)
Formatting best practices:
- Use ATX-style headers (
#not underlines) - Include blank lines before lists
- Use code fences with language specifiers
- Keep lines under 120 characters where practical
- Use relative links for internal documentation
- Add table of contents for longer READMEs (>500 lines)
Supporting Scripts
The skill includes Python scripts for automated metrics collection:
scripts/collect-site-metrics.py
Scans the repository and generates a metrics report including:
- Markdown file count and word counts
- Chapter and section counts
- MicroSim count
- Glossary, FAQ, quiz statistics
- Image and diagram counts
- Learning graph statistics
Usage:
cd skills/readme-generator/scripts
python collect-site-metrics.py /path/to/repo
Output: JSON object with all metrics
scripts/validate-readme.py
Validates README.md for:
- Required sections present
- Working links
- Valid badge URLs
- Proper markdown formatting
Usage:
python validate-readme.py README.md
Output Files
Required:
README.md- Complete README in repository root
Optional:
README-backup.md- Backup of previous README (if updating)docs/readme-metrics.json- Metrics data in JSON format
Example Session
User: "Generate a README for this repository"
Claude (using this skill):
- Checks if README.md exists (found, create backup)
- Reads
mkdocs.ymlto extract site info - Identifies technologies: MkDocs, Material, p5.js, Python
- Scans
/docsfor metrics (chapters, MicroSims, glossary) - Runs
collect-site-metrics.pyto gather statistics - Generates badges for all identified technologies
- Writes comprehensive README.md with all 12 sections
- Validates links and formatting
- Reports: "Created README.md with 15 sections, 8 badges, and current site metrics (200 concepts, 13 chapters, 87 files, 12 MicroSims). Previous README backed up to README-backup.md."
Quality Standards
A high-quality README should have:
- All relevant badges displayed correctly
- Accurate, current metrics
- Clear, compelling overview (200-400 words)
- Complete getting started instructions
- Proper attribution and licensing
- Working links (100% functional)
- Professional formatting
- Contact information