Readme updated with instructions

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,41 @@
-# happ-index
-"The poor man's hApp store" - short term interim solution until decentralized hApp store running on Holochain is up
+# Holochain App Index
+This repository serves as a central point for listing and referencing existing hApps that are ready to be installed through [Holoscape](https://github.com/holochain/holoscape).
+It is meant to function as a short term interim solution until the decentralized hApp store - which is a Holochain app itself - is up and running.
+
+## hApp Store in Holoscape
+[Holoscape](https://github.com/holochain/holoscape) downloads the file [index.json](index.json) to acquire the full list of hApps and renders a card with description and screenshot for each.
+Chooses the user to install a hApp, Holoscape also downloads the `bundle.toml` file from the hApp's resources directory in this repository which has links to all the hApp's assets (i.e. DNA files and zipped UIs).
+
+## Publishing a hApp
+If you want to make your hApp available to the public during this alpha phase for testing, you can do so by creating a pull-request to this repository.
+Once it's merged it will appear in the list of hApps inside Holoscape.
+
+The main ingredient you will need for this is a [hApp bundle file](https://github.com/holochain/holoscape/tree/master/example-bundles).
+This file is like a manifest for your hApp. It describes what DNA(s) and UI(s) your hApp consists of, and what their internal relationships (i.e. bridges and references/handles) are.
+
+You can test your hApp bundles with Holoscape by installing it manually ("from file") inside Holoscape before adding them to this repository.
+hApp bundles can reference DNA and UI files either locally via `file://` or any remote resource via `http://`.
+In order to keep this repository small, please host those binary assets either on your own server or publish them as a release in your Github repository, and then link to those files from your bundle.
+Holoscape will download the DNA and UI directly from there during install.
+
+
+
+### What should go in your PR?
+
+1. Add an element to the array in [index.json](index.json) like so:
+    ```
+    {
+        "name": "Peer Chat",
+        "directory": "peer-chat",
+        "github": "https://github.com/holochain/peer-chat",
+        "icon": null,
+        "screenshot": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/holochain/peer-chat/develop/doc/screen.png",
+        "description": "A simple chat app designed to get new users up, running and developing on Holochain"
+    }
+    ```
+    `name`, `screenshot` and `description` get displayed inside Holoscape.
+    `directory` is the name of the sub-directory that you add in step 2.
+2. Add a directory under [happ-resources](happ-resources) with the name of your happ.
+   Inside that sub-directory, add your hApp bundle file with the file name `bundle.toml`
+
+That's it! Once your PR gets approved and merged, your hApp can be installed with just a few clicks and used by others for testing purposes.