Repository Template

This repository is a reusable starting point for GitHub repositories. It collects a root README, alternate README templates, standard supporting documentation, and GitHub metadata so a new repository can start with a consistent structure instead of an empty scaffold.

Contents

• What this repository includes
• Using the template
• Repository layout
• Supporting documentation

What this repository includes

• A root README for the template repository itself.
• README-REPO.md as an alternate root README for this template repository.
• Collection-README.md for collection-style repositories.
• SourceCode-README.md for software or source-code repositories.
• A docs folder containing common repository documents including the changelog, roadmap, development notes, testing, support, security guidance, FAQ, and troubleshooting guidance.
• A src folder for source code organization.
• A .github folder for repository assets, workspace data, and repository-specific metadata.

Using the template

1. Create a new repository from this template, or copy the parts you want into an existing repository.
2. Decide which README variant best matches the new repository:
   • Use Collection-README.md for repositories that primarily collect links, notes, or documentation.
   • Use SourceCode-README.md for repositories that contain buildable software or other source code.
3. Copy the selected README template into the target repository as README.md and replace the placeholder text, badges, links, screenshots, and release details.
4. Review the files in docs and remove any documents the new repository does not need.
5. Update the repository assets under .github/repository, especially the logo and README screenshots, so the new repository branding matches the project.
6. Add the .do-not-commit/ folder to .github/
7. Clean up any template-only content before publishing.

Repository layout

Your repository should look like this:

.
|-- .github/
|   |-- archive/
|   |-- copilot/
|   |-- development/
|   |   |-- old-src/
|   |   |-- scratch/
|   |   |-- working/
|   |-- repository/
|   |   |-- logo/
|   |   |-- readme/
|   |-- third-party/
|   |-- workspace/
|   |-- copilot-instructions.md
|   
|-- docs/
|   |-- api/
|   |-- man/
|   |-- CHANGELOG.md
|   |-- CODEOWNERS
|   |-- CONTRIBUTORS.md
|   |-- DEVELOPMENT.md
|   |-- FAQ.md
|   |-- KNOWN-ISSUES.md
|   |-- NOTICES.md
|   |-- ROADMAP.md
|   |-- SECURITY.md
|   |-- SUPPORT.md
|   |-- TESTING.md
|   |-- TROUBLESHOOTING.md
|
|-- src/
|-- .gitignore
|-- Collection-README.md
|-- LICENSE
|-- README.md
|-- SourceCode-README.md

Supporting documentation

The docs folder contains the following standard documents:

File	Purpose
CHANGELOG.md	History of notable changes across releases.
CODEOWNERS	GitHub code ownership assignments.
CONTRIBUTORS.md	Acknowledgment of project contributors.
DEVELOPMENT.md	Developer setup, workflow, and contribution guidance.
FAQ.md	Answers to frequently asked questions.
KNOWN-ISSUES.md	Documented known issues and workarounds.
NOTICES.md	Legal notices and third-party attributions.
ROADMAP.md	Planned work and future direction.
SECURITY.md	Security policy and vulnerability reporting guidance.
SUPPORT.md	How to get help and file issues.
TESTING.md	Testing strategy and instructions.
TROUBLESHOOTING.md	Common problems and resolution steps.