Readme

README.md

@@ -1,3 +1,87 @@
 # Codec
 
-Like bijections, but pure and suitable for `cats`.
+`Codec` is an opinionated library for `cats`-friendly pure (reversible) conversions between types, with possible errors represented with `Either`.
+
+It's cross-built for Scala and Scala.js, and can also be used for other free-of-effect conversions to reach functional composability.
+
+## Motivation
+
+### Use partial functions, track the errors
+
+Often it's useful to do some validation alongside conversion, like in `String => Int`. 
+
+However, this function throws when malformed input is given. Hence `String => Either[Throwable, Int]`, being a total function, should fit better.
+
+In this case, error is reflected in type system. It keeps things pure. We go further, forcing the error to be of type `CodecError`, so that later it's easy to track where it comes from, especially in asynchronous environment.
+
+This uni-direction type is called `fluence.codec.PureCodec.Func` for a fixed `CodecError` error type. Any other error type could be used by extending `fluence.codec.MonadicalEitherArrow[Error]`.
+
+Bidirection type `A <=> B` is composed from two `Func`'s and is called `Bijection`.
+
+### Lawful composition
+
+A type `Func[A, B]`, being something like `A => Either[E, B]`, is not very composable on it's own, so we implemented `cats.arrow.ArrowChoice[Func]` for it. You may use `cats.syntax.compose._` or anything like that to receive `andThen` and other lawful functions.
+
+`Bijection[A, B]` is more complex type, so it has only `Compose[Bijection]` typeclass. Finally you can do something like this:
+
+```scala
+import cats.syntax.compose._
+import fluence.codec.PureCodec
+
+val intToBytes: PureCodec[Int, Array[Byte]] = PureCodec[Int, String] andThen PureCodec[String, Array[Byte]]
+```
+
+Errors are handled in monad-like "fail-fast" fashion.
+
+### Benefit from different Monads
+
+Should pure functional types conversion be lazy or eager? Should it be performed in current thread or another?
+
+`PureCodec` may use any  monad to preform execution upon, retaining its nature. The most simple case is strict eager evaluation:
+
+```scala
+import cats.Id
+
+val resEagerSync: Either[CodecError, Array[Byte]] = intToBytes.runF[Id](33)
+
+```
+
+You may use any monad, like `Task`, `Coeval`, `Eval`, `IO`...
+
+### Minimal dependencies
+
+`codec-core` depends only on `cats`. Each particular codec set is moved into separate module.
+
+### Cross compile
+
+In case of complex algorithms, it's worthy to share codebase between platforms. We cross-compile all the codecs possible both to Scala and Scala.js.
+
+## Installation
+
+```scala
+// Bintray repo is used so far. Migration to Maven Central is planned
+resolvers += Resolver.bintrayRepo("fluencelabs", "releases")
+
+val codecV = "0.0.1"
+
+libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
+  "one.fluence" %%% "codec-core" % codecV, // basic types
+  "one.fluence" %%% "codec-bits" % codecV, // scodec-bits conversions for ByteVector 
+  "one.fluence" %%% "codec-circe" % codecV, // json handling with circe
+  "one.fluence" %%% "codec-protobuf" % codecV, // ByteString conversions for both scala and scala.js
+  "one.fluence" %% "codec-kryo" % codecV // typesafe kryo codecs, only for scala
+)
+```
+
+## Roadmap
+
+- `connect[A, B, C]` to compose several Funcs or Bijections
+- `sbt-tut` for docs
+- Implement more codecs
+- Enhance `Func` api with shortcuts to `EitherT` methods
+
+## License
+
+Fluence is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (AGPLv3) as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+
+Fluence includes some [external modules](https://github.com/fluencelabs/codec/blob/master/build.sbt) that carry their own licensing.