Visit the Publication Guide (currently available in Spanish) for more information about how to publish digital tools. To learn more about the Code for Development initiative, visit: www.code.iadb.org
This is a README file. It should contain the necessary documentation to support the use of the digital tool. The following sections are recommended to include for the documentation of any digital tool. You can download this file in order to use it as a template for your own documentation.
Start the README file with a brief description of the functionality and the context for use of your tool. Be specific and concise.
Explain the basic steps of how to use the digital tool in this section. This is a great place to share screen captures or GIFs which could help others understand handling the tool.
Provide a step by step guide for how to install the digital tool. In this section, it is recommended to explain the file structure and all of the modules included in the system.
Depending on the kind of digital tool you have, the level of complexity for installation may vary. It might be necessary to install additional components upon which the tool is dependent. If this is the case, be sure to add the next section.
Describe any external resources which create a dependency for the reuse of the digital tool, such as libraries, frameworks, access to databases, and the corresponding licenses required to access each of these. Listing the latest version of these external resources that has been tested for use together with the digital tool is considered a best practice.
You can use this style format to differenciate the installation commands.
This tool offers a good example of a description of dependencies.
This section explains to developers the most useful ways to send “pull requests”, how to declare any bugs found in the tool, and which style guides should be followed when contributing new lines of code.
The Code of Conduct establishes the social norms, rules, and responsibility that individuals and organizations are expected to follow when interacting in any way with the digital tool and its respective community. It is considered a best practice to actively encourage an environment of respect and inclusion for making contributions to the project. The Github platform awards and supports the repositories which provide this specific section. As soon as you create CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md you can access the specific recommended template created by Github.
Name the original authors of the tool here. You should personally consult with all parties before publishing their name or contact information, such as email addresses. Some may also choose to direct contacts or questions to their social media profiles.
This section can offer more information about the context of the creation of the digital tool, additional links or other resources mentioning the tool, related projects, or case studies where the technology has been used.
The license specifies the permission and the conditions for use that the developer authorizes to others who wish to use or modify the digital tool.
Include a note in this section with the type of license that has been assigned to the digital tool. The text of this license should be included in a specific file named LICENSE.md or LICENSE.txt in the main folder.
If you are unsure about what kinds of licenses exist and which would be the best for your case, we recommend visiting the following page: https://choosealicense.com/.
The IDB is not responsible, under any circumstance, for damage or compensation, moral or patrimonial; direct or indirect; accessory or special; or by way of consequence, foreseen or unforeseen, that could arise:
I. Under any concept of intellectual property, negligence or detriment of another part theory; I
ii. Following the use of the Digital Tool, including, but not limited to defects in the Digital Tool, or the loss or inaccuracy of data of any kind. The foregoing includes expenses or damages associated with communication failures and / or malfunctions of computers, linked to the use of the Digital Tool.