README Maintainer

Goal

Produce README files that are fast to skim, technically accurate, and explicit about quality signals. Prefer omission over guessing.

Workflow

1. Collect evidence-backed facts.
2. Verify anything unclear before writing badges or version numbers.
3. Draft or update README with a compact section order.
4. Surface test layers and CI status immediately.
5. Run a final accuracy pass.

1) Collect Facts

Run the bundled scanner first:

python ~/.codex/skills/readme-maintainer/scripts/readme_facts.py --repo . --format markdown > /tmp/readme-facts.md
python ~/.codex/skills/readme-maintainer/scripts/readme_facts.py --repo . --format json > /tmp/readme-facts.json

Use /tmp/readme-facts.json as the source of truth for detected runtime, tools, deployment, external services, API surface, and test/CI gaps.

2) Verify Badge Inputs

For every versioned badge, confirm:

• Exact source file is known.
• Version precision is exact or clearly range-based.
• Badge value matches the repo state now.

If exact version is unknown, do not invent a number. Use an unversioned badge or omit it.

3) Use a Compact README Shape

Keep the document short and stable. Default order:

1. Title + one-line summary.
2. Badge block (grouped).
3. What it does (3-7 bullets).
4. How it works (short architecture summary).
5. Quick start.
6. Testing and CI matrix.
7. Deployment and external services.
8. Copyright and license.

If the project has callable APIs, include a short API section and always include an e2e api line in the testing matrix.

4) Testing and CI Must Be Up Front

Use this table near the top half of README:

Rules:

• Show all four rows every time.
• Keep no visible; do not hide missing layers.
• If APIs are exposed and e2e api is missing, call it out in plain text immediately below the table.

5) Badge Rules

• Group badges by purpose, not alphabetically: stack, tooling, testing/ci, deploy/license.
• Keep badge count practical; drop low-value badges.
• Prefer official docs links for each badge target.
• Include license badge only when a license file or explicit license metadata exists.

Use references/readme-patterns.md for compact badge grouping and section templates.

6) Final Quality Gate

Before finalizing README changes:

• Re-run readme_facts.py if code changed during editing.
• Confirm every numeric badge value is source-backed.
• Call out missing tests/CI explicitly.
• Include copyright and license lines when available.
• Keep prose skimmable: short paragraphs, bullets, and tables.