Update readme to markdown (#664)

* update readme

* remove non-existing image

* fix

* update include

* add to changelog

* fix

* update setup

* Update .github/CHANGELOG.md

Co-authored-by: Josh Izaac <josh146@gmail.com>

Co-authored-by: Josh Izaac <josh146@gmail.com>

.github/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@
 
 <h3>Documentation</h3>
 
+* README has been ported to Markdown.
+  [(#664)](https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/pull/664)
+
 <h3>Contributors</h3>
 
 This release contains contributions from (in alphabetical order):
@@ -54,10 +57,10 @@ Theodor Isacsson
 
 <h3>New features since last release</h3>
 
-* The generic multimode Gaussian gate ``Ggate`` is now available in the ``sf.ops``
-  module with the backend choice of ``tf``. The N mode ``Ggate`` can be parametrized by a real
-  symplectic matrix `S` (size `2N * 2N`) and a diplacement vector `d` (size `N`). You can also
-  obtain the gradients of the Ggate gate via TensorFlow's ``tape.gradient``
+* The generic multimode Gaussian gate `Ggate` is now available in the `sf.ops`
+  module with the backend choice of `tf`. The N mode `Ggate` can be parametrized by a real
+  symplectic matrix `S` (size `2N * 2N`) and a displacement vector `d` (size `N`). You can also
+  obtain the gradients of the Ggate gate via TensorFlow's `tape.gradient`
   [(#599)](https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/pull/599)
   [(#606)](https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/pull/606)
 

MANIFEST.in

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-include README.rst
+include README.md
 include doc/*
 include LICENSE
 include examples/*

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="https://strawberryfields.ai">
+    <img width=80% src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/master/doc/_static/strawberry-fields-text.png">
+  </a>
+</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <!-- Tests (GitHub actions) -->
+  <a href="https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/actions?query=workflow%3ATests">
+    <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/workflow/status/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/Tests/master?logo=github&style=flat-square" />
+  </a>
+  <!-- CodeFactor -->
+  <a href="https://www.codefactor.io/repository/github/xanaduai/strawberryfields">
+    <img src="https://img.shields.io/codefactor/grade/github/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/master?style=flat-square" />
+  </a>
+  <!-- CodeCov -->
+  <a href="https://codecov.io/gh/XanaduAI/strawberryfields">
+    <img src="https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/xanaduai/strawberryfields/master.svg?style=popout-square" />
+  </a>
+  <!-- ReadTheDocs -->
+  <a href="https://strawberryfields.readthedocs.io">
+    <img src="https://img.shields.io/readthedocs/strawberryfields.svg?style=popout-square" />
+  </a>
+  <!-- PyPI -->
+  <a href="https://pypi.org/project/StrawberryFields">
+    <img src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/StrawberryFields.svg?style=popout-square" />
+  </a>
+  <!-- PyPI - Python Version -->
+  <a href="https://pypi.org/project/StrawberryFields">
+    <img src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/StrawberryFields.svg?style=popout-square" />
+  </a>
+</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="https://strawberryfields.ai">Strawberry Fields</a> is a full-stack Python library for
+ designing, simulating, and optimizing continuous-variable quantum optical circuits.
+</p>
+
+
+## Features
+
+<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/master/doc/_static/StateLearning.gif" width="300px" align="right">
+
+
+* Execute photonic quantum algorithms directly on
+  [Xanadu's next-generation quantum hardware](https://strawberryfields.ai/photonics/hardware/index.html).
+
+* [High-level functions](https://strawberryfields.ai/photonics/applications.html) for **solving
+  practical problems** including **graph and network optimization**, **machine learning**, and
+  **chemistry**.
+
+* Includes a suite of world-class simulators—based on cutting-edge algorithms—to compile and
+  simulate photonic algorithms.
+
+* [Train and optimize](https://strawberryfields.ai/photonics/demonstrations.html#optimization-and-machine-learning)
+  your quantum programs with our end-to-end differentiable TensorFlow backend.
+
+
+## Installation
+
+Strawberry Fields requires Python version 3.7, 3.8, or 3.9. Installation of Strawberry Fields, as
+well as all dependencies, can be done using pip:
+
+```console
+pip install strawberryfields
+```
+
+
+## Getting started
+
+To get started with writing your own Strawberry Fields code, begin with our [photonic circuit
+quickstart guides](https://strawberryfields.readthedocs.io/en/stable/introduction/introduction.html),
+before exploring our many [tutorials](https://strawberryfields.ai/photonics/demonstrations.html) and
+[applications](https://strawberryfields.ai/photonics/applications.html).
+
+<a href="https://strawberryfields.ai/photonics/demonstrations.html">
+  <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/master/doc/_static/readme_panel1.png" width="900px">
+</a>
+
+Next, read more about using Strawberry Fields with
+[photonic hardware](https://strawberryfields.ai/photonics/hardware/index.html), including code
+demonstrations and an overview of Xanadu's quantum photonic hardware.
+
+Developers can head to the
+[development guide](https://strawberryfields.readthedocs.io/en/stable/development/development_guide.html)
+to see how they can contribute to Strawberry Fields.
+
+
+## Contributing to Strawberry Fields
+
+We welcome contributions — simply fork the Strawberry Fields repository, and then make a
+[pull request](https://help.github.com/articles/about-pull-requests/) containing your contribution.
+All contributors to Strawberry Fields will be listed as authors on the releases.
+
+We also encourage bug reports, suggestions for new features and enhancements, and even links to cool
+projects or applications built on Strawberry Fields.
+
+See our [contributions page](https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/blob/master/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md)
+and [changelog](https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/blob/master/.github/CHANGELOG.md)
+for more details, and then check out some of the Strawberry Fields
+[challenges](https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/blob/master/.github/CHALLENGES.md)
+for some inspiration.
+
+
+## Authors
+
+Strawberry Fields is the work of
+[many contributors](https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/graphs/contributors)
+
+If you are doing research using Strawberry Fields, please cite our papers:
+
+> Nathan Killoran, Josh Izaac, Nicolás Quesada, Ville Bergholm, Matthew Amy, and
+> Christian Weedbrook. "Strawberry Fields: A Software Platform for Photonic Quantum Computing",
+> [Quantum, 3, 129](https://quantum-journal.org/papers/q-2019-03-11-129/) (2019).
+
+> Thomas R. Bromley, Juan Miguel Arrazola, Soran Jahangiri, Josh Izaac, Nicolás Quesada,
+> Alain Delgado Gran, Maria Schuld, Jeremy Swinarton, Zeid Zabaneh, and Nathan Killoran.
+> "Applications of Near-Term Photonic Quantum Computers: Software and Algorithms",
+> [Quantum Sci. Technol. 5 034010](https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2058-9565/ab8504/meta) (2020).
+
+
+## Support
+
+- **Source Code:** https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields
+- **Issue Tracker:** https://github.com/XanaduAI/strawberryfields/issues
+
+If you are having issues, please let us know by posting the issue on our Github issue tracker.
+
+We also have a [Slack channel](https://u.strawberryfields.ai/slack) and a
+[discussion forum](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/) — come join the discussion and chat with our
+Strawberry Fields team.
+
+
+## License
+
+Strawberry Fields is **free** and **open source**, released under the Apache License, Version 2.0.

setup.py

@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-import os
-import sys
-
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages
 
 
@@ -49,8 +46,8 @@
                                           "apps/data/sample_data/*"]},
     "include_package_data": True,
     "description": "Open source library for continuous-variable quantum computation",
-    "long_description": open("README.rst", encoding="utf-8").read(),
-    "long_description_content_type": "text/x-rst",
+    "long_description": open("README.md", encoding="utf-8").read(),
+    "long_description_content_type": "text/markdown",
     "provides": ["strawberryfields"],
     "install_requires": requirements,
     "command_options": {