IoT application development often requires team collaboration. A single IoT solution may access multiple endpoints, and require the work of several partners. One way to keep everyone on your team on the same page is with a README file. By keeping all of the information your developers need in one place, you cut down substantially on the time it takes to get up to speed. Your team can read the file, understand what they need to succeed, and get to work. To promote further ease of use for IoT application development, the Losant application enablement platform (AEP) now includes a README file feature.
Adding a README file feature offers great value for teams looking to develop IoT applications in Losant. Let’s take a look at how important a good README file is.
What's in a README?
You know what a README file is, but a strong one can make a huge difference. A good README file can cut down significantly on development time and improve efficiency.
According to GitHub, a good README file includes:
- What the application does
- Why the application is useful
- How users can get started
- Where users can get help
- Who maintains and contributes to the application
READMEs Improve Collaboration
Software development does not occur in a vacuum—it’s almost always a team of developers working towards a goal. As your developers collaborate and use each others’ work to build more complex workflows, README files allow everyone to stay on the same page.
READMEs Make it Easy to Pick Up Where You Left Off
There’s nothing worse than when you return to a project and have no idea what you were doing when you stopped. This can lead to lost time and wasted effort as you try to get back up to speed. If you keep your README up to date, you’ll be able to come back to the software and pick up right where you left off.
When Losant introduced its application templates, our engineers ensured that every template included a detailed README file. With our READMEs, developers can get their solutions completed in Losant quickly. See the README files for yourself on GitHub for each application template.
README files keep your development team moving. Whether your developers are collaborating, returning to an application after a time, or just staying up to date with the rest of the team, README files are an invaluable resource. Losant introduced README functionality for these reasons. Try them for yourself in the Losant Developer Sandbox.