# User-Focused README.md for CLI and Repository Usage

* **Task ID:** user-focused-readme_58.stevejs.md
* **Reviewer:** stevejs
* **Area:** docs
* **Motivation (WHY):**
  - Current README.md is heavily benchmark-focused rather than user-focused
  - New users need clear introduction to what seams does and how to use it
  - CLI users want quick start guide and common usage patterns
  - Developers want repository structure and contribution guidelines
  - Project needs professional presentation for open source publication
  - README should serve both end users and potential contributors

* **Acceptance Criteria:**
  1. Clear project description and value proposition in first paragraph
  2. Quick start guide for CLI installation and basic usage
  3. Common usage examples with real-world scenarios
  4. Clear documentation of CLI flags and options
  5. Repository structure explanation for developers
  6. Contribution guidelines and development setup
  7. Performance information included but not the primary focus
  8. Professional presentation suitable for open source publication

* **Deliverables:**
  - Complete README.md rewrite with user-focused structure
  - CLI quick start guide with installation instructions
  - Usage examples covering common scenarios
  - Developer section with repository structure and setup
  - Contribution guidelines and development workflow
  - Performance section (condensed from current benchmarks)
  - Links to detailed documentation and additional resources

* **Target Audiences:**

### Primary: CLI End Users
- **Need:** Quick understanding of what seams does
- **Want:** Installation instructions and usage examples
- **Goal:** Get started processing their text files immediately

### Secondary: Repository Users/Contributors
- **Need:** Understanding of codebase structure and architecture
- **Want:** Development setup and contribution guidelines
- **Goal:** Understand, modify, or contribute to the project

### Tertiary: Evaluators/Researchers
- **Need:** Performance characteristics and technical details
- **Want:** Benchmarks and comparison with other tools
- **Goal:** Assess suitability for their use case

* **Content Structure:**

## Proposed README.md Outline

```markdown
# seams - High-Performance Sentence Boundary Detection

Brief description of what seams does and why it's useful.

## Quick Start

### Installation
- cargo install seams
- Download releases
- Build from source

### Basic Usage
- Process single directory
- Common flags
- Output format explanation

## Usage Examples

### Common Scenarios
- Processing Project Gutenberg corpus
- Incremental processing with caching
- Handling different text formats
- Integration with other tools

### Command Reference
- All CLI flags explained
- Usage patterns
- Error handling

## Performance

- Key performance characteristics
- Benchmarks summary (not detailed results)
- Scalability information

## For Developers

### Repository Structure
- src/ overview
- Key modules and their purposes
- Test structure

### Development Setup
- Prerequisites
- Building and testing
- Running benchmarks

### Contributing
- Code style guidelines
- Testing requirements
- Pull request process

## Technical Details

- Algorithm overview
- Architecture decisions
- Dependencies

## License and Acknowledgments
```

* **Writing Guidelines:**

### Tone and Style
- **Professional but approachable** - suitable for both casual users and researchers
- **Action-oriented** - focus on what users can do, not just what the tool is
- **Concise but complete** - cover essential information without overwhelming
- **Example-driven** - show real usage rather than abstract descriptions

### Content Priorities
1. **What it does** (sentence boundary detection for text corpora)
2. **How to use it** (installation and basic commands)
3. **Common use cases** (Project Gutenberg, research workflows)
4. **Development info** (for contributors)
5. **Performance details** (condensed, factual)

### Specific Improvements Over Current README
- **Less benchmark-heavy** - move detailed benchmarks to separate doc
- **More usage examples** - show actual command lines and workflows
- **Better developer onboarding** - clear setup and contribution instructions
- **Professional presentation** - suitable for cargo/github discovery

* **Content Sources:**
  - Current CLI help output (`seams --help`)
  - Existing documentation in docs/ directory
  - PRD.md for feature descriptions and architecture
  - Manual commands documentation
  - Current benchmark results (condensed)

* **Implementation Approach:**

### Phase 1: Content Planning
- [ ] Audit current README.md and identify what to preserve
- [ ] Gather content from existing docs, CLI help, and PRD
- [ ] Create detailed outline with specific examples
- [ ] Review target audience needs and priorities

### Phase 2: Writing
- [ ] Write introduction and value proposition
- [ ] Create quick start guide with installation instructions
- [ ] Develop usage examples covering common scenarios
- [ ] Document all CLI flags and options clearly
- [ ] Write developer section with repository overview

### Phase 3: Polish and Review
- [ ] Condense performance section from current benchmarks
- [ ] Add contribution guidelines and development workflow
- [ ] Review for clarity, completeness, and professional presentation
- [ ] Test all installation and usage instructions
- [ ] Ensure examples work correctly

* **Success Metrics:**
  - New users can get started within 5 minutes of reading
  - All installation methods work as documented
  - Usage examples cover 80% of common use cases
  - Developer section enables easy contribution setup
  - Professional presentation suitable for open source publication

* **References:**
  - Current README.md (preserve useful benchmarks in condensed form)
  - PRD.md for feature descriptions and technical architecture
  - docs/ directory for existing documentation
  - CLI help output for accurate flag documentation
  - Other successful open source project READMEs for structure inspiration

## Pre-commit checklist:
- [ ] All deliverables implemented
- [ ] Installation instructions tested on clean system
- [ ] All usage examples verified to work correctly
- [ ] CLI flag documentation matches actual implementation
- [ ] Developer setup instructions tested
- [ ] Professional presentation suitable for publication
- [ ] Performance section condensed but accurate
- [ ] Contribution guidelines clear and actionable
- [ ] Repository structure explanation helpful for newcomers
- [ ] README serves both end users and developers effectively