Repository hygiene · rule repo-no-readme
Data repository with no README
A Metacenta review checks this under the rule The repo has a README. Everything below applies whether or not you ever commission one.
What this rule checks
This rule flags a repository with no README at its root. A root file called README, in any case and with or without an extension, passes. A README in a subfolder does not count, because someone who has just cloned the repository will not find it.
Why it matters
A new engineer's first question is how to run the project. With no written answer, they ask a person instead, and that happens again with everyone who joins.
How to fix it
Add a README covering setup, local runs and ownership. Add a README.md at the root covering setup, how to run the pipeline locally, and who owns it.
When it is fine to leave
A repository nobody works in by hand, such as one written only by automation, can go without. So can a mirror whose documentation lives with the original source.
What we need to check it
Read-only access to the repository's file list. We check that the file exists, not what it says. If the listing was truncated, we decline rather than report.