Merge pull request #2352 from posit-dev/dotnomad/improved-readme

Improved extension README

extensions/vscode/README.md

@@ -1,11 +1,92 @@
-# Posit Publisher
+# Posit Publisher - Deploy to Posit Connect
 
-[Posit Publisher](https://github.com/posit-dev/publisher) is an extension for
-[Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) that provides an easy
-way to deploy to [Posit Connect](https://posit.co/products/enterprise/connect/).
+[Posit Publisher](https://github.com/posit-dev/publisher) is a code-first tool
+with a push-button user interface for deploying the things you build in Python
+and R to [Posit Connect](https://posit.co/products/enterprise/connect/).
+
+Supported frameworks or content type include:
+
+- Python content: APIs, applications, and notebooks
+- R content: Shiny apps, RMarkdown, Plumber APIs, and Rmd with embedded
+  Shiny apps
+- Quarto content: `.qmd` and `.Rmd` files. Support for embedded Shiny apps
 
 ## Installation
 
-Install Posit Publisher from the
+Install Posit Publisher using the **Install** button above, or using the
+**Extensions** side bar in [Positron](https://github.com/posit-dev/positron) or
+[VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) and searching for `posit.publisher`.
+
+Posit Publisher is available from the
 [Visual Studio Code Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Posit.publisher)
 or from the [Open VSX Registry](https://open-vsx.org/extension/posit/publisher).
+
+## Features
+
+### Start in VS Code or Positron and end with content on Posit Connect
+
+Posit Publisher extends VS Code and Positron so you can stay in your development
+environment to configure and deploy your content. Select the file you want
+to deploy, and Posit Publisher will get you started with a configuration.
+
+Once you are ready, deploy your content to Posit Connect.
+
+![Deploying content to Posit Connect using the Posit Publisher extension in VS Code](https://cdn.posit.co/publisher/assets/img/vscode-to-connect.gif)
+
+### Code-first deployment
+
+Configure your content with ease.
+
+[Configuration files](https://github.com/posit-dev/publisher/blob/main/docs/configuration.md)
+allow setting up how you want your content to look and run on Connect — from
+choosing a title and description to
+[Runtime process settings](https://docs.posit.co/connect/user/content-settings/#content-runtime).
+
+Keep your content stable with language and tool versions set in your
+configurations — all automatically detected based on your local environment.
+
+Keep your content stable with language and tool versions set in your
+configurations — all automatically detected based on your local environment.
+And you also have the control to pin them to the exact version that works for
+you.
+
+Everything is saved in the `.posit/` directory for easy reproducibility and
+collaboration.
+
+### Track all content for a project
+
+If your project requires multiple pieces of content, Posit Publisher can manage
+them all inside VS Code or Positron. For example, deploy an API and an
+application that utilizes it.
+
+### Associate already deployed content
+
+Posit Publisher isn't only for deploying something new. To start managing your
+previously-deployed content in VS Code or Positron, associate your deployment
+using just the content's URL.
+
+See the
+[Updating Previously Deployed Content](https://github.com/posit-dev/publisher/blob/main/docs/vscode.md#updating-previously-deployed-content)
+documentation for more information.
+
+### Multiple deployments and configurations
+
+Does your content need to be deployed to multiple destinations with different
+settings? For example, to a staging environment and production.
+
+Posit Publisher supports managing multiple deployments and configurations,
+simplifying the process of deploying to different environments.
+
+### Deployment logs
+
+Logs are organized to easily identify what went wrong.
+
+![Deploying logs with organized steps in the Posit Publisher Logs view](https://cdn.posit.co/publisher/assets/img/deployment-logs.gif)
+
+## Help and feedback
+
+Documentation can be found in the
+[open source repository](https://github.com/posit-dev/publisher/blob/main/docs/index.md).
+
+Report bugs or request features using
+[GitHub Issues](https://github.com/posit-dev/publisher/issues).