From d16f67db3953578cb29db892d70fc49e2ef293c8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Edward Betts <edward@4angle.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2023 18:51:29 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Add a README file.

Resolves: #6
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 README | 91 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 91 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 README

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+# Conference Archive
+
+## Overview
+
+This web application is designed to list past tech conferences and their
+speakers. It utilizes Python, Flask, SQLAlchemy, and Jinja2 for the backend and
+templating, and PostgreSQL for the database. The data is primarily sourced from
+machine-readable schedules published by conferences.
+
+The software is licensed under the GPL-3. 
+
+## Features
+
+- List past tech conferences with detailed information.
+- Display speakers and their profiles for each conference.
+- Search functionality to easily find specific conferences or speakers.
+- Database-driven, making it easy to manage and update conference data.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before you begin, ensure you have met the following requirements:
+
+- Python (3.x recommended) installed on your system.
+- Flask web framework, SQLAlchemy, and Jinja2 libraries.
+- PostgreSQL database.
+- Access to machine-readable schedules from tech conferences.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+1. Clone this repository to your local machine:
+
+   ```bash
+   git clone <repository-url>
+   ```
+
+2. Create a virtual environment and activate it:
+
+   ```bash
+   python -m venv venv
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   ```
+
+3. Install the required Python packages:
+
+   ```bash
+   pip install -r requirements.txt
+   ```
+
+4. Set up the PostgreSQL database and configure the database connection in your
+   Flask application.
+
+5. Import the conference data from machine-readable schedules into your
+   database.
+
+6. Run the Flask application:
+
+   ```bash
+   flask run
+   ```
+
+7. Access the website in your browser at `http://localhost:5000`.
+
+## Usage
+
+- Access the website to browse and search for past tech conferences and
+  speakers.
+- Use the admin panel or a separate script to add, update, or delete conference
+  data as needed.
+
+## Contributing
+
+Contributions are welcome. If you'd like to contribute to this project, please
+follow these steps:
+
+1. Fork the repository.
+2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
+3. Make your changes and commit them with descriptive messages.
+4. Push your changes to your fork.
+5. Create a pull request to the main repository's `main` branch.
+
+## License
+
+This software is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3
+(GPL-3). See the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
+
+## Contact
+
+If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact the project
+maintainer:
+
+- [Edward Betts](mailto:edward@4angle.com)