# Getting Started

This codebase is a small Java repository focused on comparing file header styles and documentation patterns. There is no obvious application runtime, service layer, or framework wiring; instead, the value of the project is in the structure and content of the source-file headers themselves.

## What This Project Does

The repository appears to be a compact reference set for header conventions, license blocks, and versioned comments in Java files. Each class is intentionally simple, so the main thing to learn is how the files are documented and how those headers vary across examples.

## Recommended Reading Order

1. **[`overview.md`](../overview.md)** — start here for the repository summary and high-level layout.
2. **[`src/main/java/WithHeader.java`](../../src/main/java/WithHeader.java)** — the cleanest example of the preferred header format.
3. **[`src/main/java/Crosslink.java`](../../src/main/java/Crosslink.java)** — similar to `WithHeader`, but includes an in-class change marker.
4. **[`src/main/java/PartialHeader.java`](../../src/main/java/PartialHeader.java)** — shows an incomplete header and helps clarify what is missing.
5. **[`src/main/java/NoHeader.java`](../../src/main/java/NoHeader.java)** — the baseline case with no file header.
6. **[`src/main/java/LongHeader.java`](../../src/main/java/LongHeader.java)** — read last; it contains the most verbose historical metadata.

## Key Entry Points

There are no highly referenced classes in this repository, so the best “entry points” are the example files themselves:

- [`src/main/java/WithHeader.java`](../../src/main/java/WithHeader.java) — minimal, complete header example.
- [`src/main/java/Crosslink.java`](../../src/main/java/Crosslink.java) — header plus an inline change annotation around a field.
- [`src/main/java/MitLicense.java`](../../src/main/java/MitLicense.java) — short license-first header example.
- [`src/main/java/PartialHeader.java`](../../src/main/java/PartialHeader.java) — partially completed documentation block.
- [`src/main/java/NoHeader.java`](../../src/main/java/NoHeader.java) — class with no header comment.
- [`src/main/java/LongHeader.java`](../../src/main/java/LongHeader.java) — long-running change log style header.

## Project Structure

The repository is intentionally flat:

- `src/main/java/` contains the Java examples.
- `.codewiki/` contains generated documentation for the repository.
- There are no deeper packages, services, controllers, or feature modules detected.

The current source set is small enough to read end to end, which makes it ideal for understanding documentation patterns rather than runtime flow.

## Configuration

No build or framework configuration files were detected in the repository snapshot. That usually means there is no project-specific runtime configuration to learn yet, or that this repository is being used primarily as a source sample rather than an executable application.

If you add tooling later, the first places to check would be:

- build files such as `pom.xml`, `build.gradle`, or `settings.gradle`
- compiler or formatter config such as `.editorconfig`
- repository policy files such as `README.md` or contributing docs

## Common Patterns

- **Simple standalone classes** — each file defines a single public class with little or no behavior.
- **Header-driven structure** — most of the meaningful content lives in the comment block above the class.
- **Versioned annotations** — several files include release tags like `v72.00.00` and change markers such as `ADD START` / `ADD END`.
- **Minimal implementation code** — the class body is often empty or contains just one field.
- **Documentation-first reading** — when scanning the repository, read the header before the class body; that is where the intent usually lives.

## Where to Go Next

After this guide, read the source examples in the order above and compare how each file handles the header format. If you need a deeper map of the repository, return to [`overview.md`](../overview.md) and then inspect the individual Java files side by side.