basic documentation

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,96 @@
-# orcli
-OpenRefine command-line interface written in Bash (💎+🤖)
+# orcli (💎+🤖)
+
+Bash script to control OpenRefine via [its HTTP API](https://docs.openrefine.org/technical-reference/openrefine-api).
+
+## Features
+
+* works with latest OpenRefine version (currently 3.5)
+* provides nested sub-commands with help screens and usage examples
+* supports batch processing (import, transform, export) with dedicated OpenRefine instances
+* import CSV, TSV, line-based TXT, fixed-width TXT, JSON or XML (and specify input options)
+* transform data either by directly calling operations or by providing a [undo/redo](https://docs.openrefine.org/manual/running#history-undoredo) JSON file
+* export to CSV, TSV, HTML, XLS, XLSX, ODS
+* [templating export](https://docs.openrefine.org/manual/exporting#templating-exporter) to additional formats like JSON or XML
+
+## Requirements
+
+* GNU/Linux with Bash
+* [jq](https://stedolan.github.io/jq/)
+* [curl](https://curl.se/)
+
+## Install
+
+1. Navigate to the OpenRefine program directory
+
+2. Download bash script there and make it executable
+
+```sh
+wget https://github.com/opencultureconsulting/orcli/raw/main/orcli
+chmod +x orcli
+```
+
+3. Create a symlink in your $PATH (e.g. to ~/.local/bin)
+
+```sh
+ln -s "${PWD}/orcli" ~/.local/bin/
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+Ensure you have OpenRefine running (i.e. available at http://localhost:3333 or another URL) or use the integrated start command first.
+
+Use integrated help screens for available options and examples for each command.
+
+```sh
+[felix@tux orcli]$ ./orcli --help
+orcli - OpenRefine command-line interface written in Bash
+
+Usage:
+  orcli [command]
+  orcli [command] --help | -h
+  orcli --version | -v
+
+Commands:
+  info   show project metadata
+  list   list projects on OpenRefine server
+
+Options:
+  --help, -h
+    Show this help
+
+  --version, -v
+    Show version number
+
+Environment Variables:
+  OPENREFINE_URL
+    URL to OpenRefine server
+    Default: http://localhost:3333
+
+  OPENREFINE_CSRF
+    set to false for OpenRefine < 3.3
+    Default: true
+
+Examples:
+  orcli list
+  orcli info clipboard
+  orcli info 1234567890123
+```
+
+## Development
+
+orcli uses [bashly](https://github.com/DannyBen/bashly/) for generating the one-file script from files in the `src` directory
+
+1. Install bashly (requires ruby)
+
+```sh
+gem install bashly
+```
+
+2. Edit code in [src](src) directory
+
+3. Validate and generate script
+
+```sh
+bashly validate
+bashly generate
+```