Readme

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As README or Readme ( Engl. Read me = readme ) is a file called commonly associated with software is included and contains various, often important information about the software. Most of these are details that were no longer known in time to be included in the manual, or corrections to incorrect information in the manual supplied. Often, however, the user is also informed about important details before the installation and before using the software for the first time, which are important for the smooth use of the software and which he should therefore read.

If the file name is written in capital letters README, then this is either the result of system-related reasons on old file systems (the FAT file system originally only saved uppercase letters with an 8.3 limit ), or this is intended so that the file is particularly eye-catching - through the capitalization the file is then listed on systems that are case-sensitive (such as Unix and other derivatives ) before all other files whose names begin with lowercase letters. Usual file names are in addition to readme(alternatively also with a capital letter) and ReadMethe translation into other languages, for example LiesMichor LisezMoi, often with the file name extension .txt or .doc. Whether there is a file name extension at all or what it is, differs from project to project. Common examples are read.meas well as readme.1st.

File format

The readme file is usually in a format that can be read with existing text programs on the platform on which the software is running.

In the past, a readme file was mostly a plain text file , i.e. it only contained ASCII characters, which meant that it could be read and printed out on almost all computer systems, even on systems on which the software that wrote the file was could not be used. The compiled file name ( readme instead of read me ) was also due to compatibility, since on some systems a space in the file name could lead to problems.

Readme files under IBM PC-compatible DOS were almost always simple text files, although the extension was .txtoften also so that they could be read .docon the PC DOS and MS-DOS operating systems without additional programs. For Windows programs, on the other hand, the file format of a word processor was often used, for example .writhat read with Write or .doc(the file format of Microsoft Word ) that could also be read with WordPad . In OS X , the Rich Text Format with the filename extension is .rtfwidely used.

Readme file formats commonly used today are usually subdivided into a simplified markup language or delivered in HTML format, since it can be assumed that most systems have a web browser . Sometimes the PDF file format is also used, although this requires a special display program under some operating systems. This was often supplied with the software because it was also required for the enclosed and more complex user documentation.

Despite all the modern options, the simple text file, however now often in Unicode instead of ASCII, has been preserved for smaller readme files to this day.

See also

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  1. ↑ http://www.wissenswertes.at/index.php?id=readme-atei
  2. ↑ Definition or explanation: Read-me-file in Bullhost-PC-Lexikon; accessed on March 23, 2016.
  3. ↑ Telewerkstatt Leutschach, list of file extensions - the file extension .mecan be found in a read.mefile
  4. ↑ Telewerkstatt Leutschach, list of file extensions - the file extension .1stis intended for the readme file,readme.1st
  5. ↑ Example: http://www.python.org/ftp/python/README.html