README Updater Skill
Keep your README current with project changes.
When I Activate ✅ New features added ✅ Project structure changes ✅ Dependencies added/removed ✅ Setup instructions change ✅ User mentions README or documentation ✅ Configuration files modified What I Update README Sections
Installation:
New dependencies Setup steps Prerequisites Environment variables
Features:
New capabilities Functionality changes Feature deprecation
Usage:
API changes New examples Updated screenshots
Configuration:
New options Environment variables Config file changes Examples New Feature Addition
You add authentication:
git diff
+ auth.service.ts
+ login.component.tsx
+ JWT middleware
I suggest README update:
Features
- ✨ User authentication with JWT # NEW
- 🔐 Role-based access control # NEW
- User management
- Dashboard
New Dependency
You add: npm install stripe
I suggest:
Installation
```bash npm install npm install stripe # Added for payment processing
Environment Variables STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=your_stripe_key # Required for payments
Setup Instructions
```bash
You modify docker-compose.yml
I update README:
Development Setup
```bash
1. Clone repository
git clone [url]
2. Install dependencies
npm install
3. Start services (UPDATED)
docker-compose up -d # Now includes Redis cache
4. Run migrations
npm run migrate
Detection Logic
Change Analysis
I detect these changes automatically: - package.json → Update dependencies section - New routes → Update API documentation - .env.example → Update environment variables - docker-compose.yml → Update setup instructions - New features → Update features list
Section Mapping
```yaml Code Change → README Section: - New API endpoint → Usage / API Reference - New dependency → Installation - New env var → Configuration - New feature → Features list - Architecture change → Architecture section
Intelligent Updates Keep Structure
I maintain your README structure:
Preserve emoji style Keep formatting consistent Maintain tone and voice Respect existing organization Add Missing Sections
Suggested additions:
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+
- Docker (for development)
- PostgreSQL 14+
Environment Variables
```bash DATABASE_URL=postgresql://localhost/mydb API_KEY=your_api_key
Testing npm test
Update Examples
```markdown
Before:
```javascript const result = api.getUsers();
After (API changed): const result = await api.getUsers({ page: 1, limit: 10 });
Version Compatibility
I track version-specific documentation:
```markdown
Requirements
- Node.js 18+ (updated from 16+)
- TypeScript 5.0+ (new requirement)
- React 18+ (unchanged)
Changelog Integration
I can sync with CHANGELOG.md:
Recent Changes
See CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history.
Latest (v2.1.0)
- ✨ Added user authentication
- 🔧 Fixed memory leak in data processing
- 📝 Updated API documentation
Screenshot Management
I suggest when UI changes:
Screenshots
Updated: 2025-10-24 - New authentication panel
New feature - user profile management
Relationship with @docs-writer
Me (Skill): Keep README current with code changes @docs-writer (Sub-Agent): Comprehensive documentation strategy
Workflow I detect changes I suggest README updates For full docs → Invoke @docs-writer sub-agent Sub-agent creates complete documentation Sandboxing Compatibility
Works without sandboxing: ✅ Yes Works with sandboxing: ✅ Yes
Filesystem: Writes to README.md Network: None required Configuration: None required Best Practices Keep it current - Update README with every feature Be specific - Include version numbers, prerequisites Add examples - Show actual usage, not just API Include troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions Badge status - Keep build/coverage badges current README Templates Basic Structure
Project Name
Brief description
Features
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
Installation
```bash npm install
Usage // Example
Configuration
Environment variables needed
Contributing
How to contribute
License
MIT
Comprehensive Structure
```markdown
Project Name
Tagline
[Badges]
Table of Contents
- Features
- Installation
- Usage
- API Reference
- Configuration
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment
- Contributing
- License
[Sections with detailed content]
Integration With /docs-gen Command /docs-gen --format markdown
Generates:
1. README.md (via me)
2. Full documentation site (via @docs-writer)
3. API reference (via api-documenter)
With CI/CD
.github/workflows/docs.yml
- name: Update README run: | # Skill suggests updates based on changes # Review and commit
Customization
Add company-specific README standards:
cp -r ~/.claude/skills/documentation/readme-updater \ ~/.claude/skills/documentation/company-readme-updater
Edit to add:
- Company README template
- Required sections
- Badge standards
Related Tools api-documenter skill: API documentation @docs-writer sub-agent: Comprehensive docs git-commit-helper skill: Commit messages for updates /docs-gen command: Full documentation generation