Improve base info and instructions

.env.example

@@ -1,14 +1,27 @@
-# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# app
-# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Template for file for local Nuxt settings.
+#
+# Use as basis for .env files for local environment variables.
+#
+# Resulting local settings files are not meant to be committed/versioned;
+# use GitHub secrets/GitLab CI/CD variables to replicate the behaviour
+# for deployments.
+
+# App settings
+# ------------
+# For local development, point NUXT_PUBLIC_APP_BASE_URL to a local address
 NUXT_PUBLIC_APP_BASE_URL="http://localhost:3000"
-# imprint service
-NUXT_PUBLIC_REDMINE_ID=
-# web crawlers
+
+# Imprint service
+# NUXT_PUBLIC_REDMINE_ID should point to the project's main ticket on Redmine
+NUXT_PUBLIC_REDMINE_ID=999
+
+# Web crawlers
+# Set BOTS to "disabled" to suppress crawling of the site
 BOTS="disabled"
 
-# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# analytics
-# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Analytics settings
+# ------------------
 NUXT_PUBLIC_MATOMO_BASE_URL="https://matomo.acdh.oeaw.ac.at"
+
+# If the site uses analytics, set NUXT_PUBLIC_MATOMO_ID to the project's Matomo ID
 # NUXT_PUBLIC_MATOMO_ID=

.gitignore

@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ node_modules/
 *.log
 
 # non-public environment variables
-.env
-.env.local
-.env.*.local
+.env*
 
 # caches
 .eslintcache
@@ -27,3 +25,7 @@ dist
 .nuxt/
 .nitro/
 .output/
+
+# allowed
+!*example*
+!*template*

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# Template for Nuxt 3 applications
+
+Skeleton app for new Nuxt 3 apps developed at [ACDH-CH](https://www.oeaw.ac.at/acdh/acdh-ch-home).
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+You need to have **Node.js** and **pnpm** installed on your system to base your own projects on this example app.
+
+For download and install instructions, see:
+
+- [Node.js v18](https://nodejs.org/en/download)
+- [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/installation)
+
+
+## Setup
+
+### Configure environment variables
+
+Use file `.env.example` at the root of the repository to create a new file named `.env` to store local environment variables:
+
+```sh
+cp -n .env.example .env
+```
+
+Adapt the new file's contents to your project/dev environment.
+
+
+### Install dependencies
+
+Run the following command to install all required dependencies:
+
+```sh
+pnpm install
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+To run the app, use:
+
+```sh
+pnpm run dev
+```
+
+You should now be able to access your application at the address provided via `NUXT_PUBLIC_APP_BASE_URL`  in your `.env` file.  The default address given in the example file is [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000).