qmims - AI-Powered README Generation & Editing

qmims (Q, Make It Make Sense!) is a command-line tool that uses Kiro CLI to generate, update, and refine README.md files for your projects. It helps you create clear, comprehensive, and context-aware documentation with minimal effort.

Note on the name: qmims was originally built for Amazon Q CLI — hence Q, Make It Make Sense! Amazon has since rebranded Q Developer CLI to Kiro CLI, and qmims has been fully migrated to work with Kiro.

📚 Visit the documentation site for guides, examples, and best practices.

Features

• AI-powered README generation with Kiro CLI
• Multiple generation modes:
  • Auto: Analyze the project and generate a README automatically
  • Template: Start from a built-in or custom template
  • Instruct: Use embedded instructions inside Markdown files
• Direct README editing using embedded qmims instructions
• Custom templates for reusable README structures
• Configuration management for defaults and workflow preferences
• Optional auto-approval flow for Kiro tool permissions

Installation

⚡ Quick installation guide is also available in the docs.

Prerequisites

Before installing qmims, make sure you have:

1. Node.js: version 18 or later

   node --version

2. Kiro CLI: installed and authenticated

   Install Kiro CLI using the official instructions for your platform.

   Windows users: Kiro CLI requires Windows 11. Run the install command in PowerShell or Windows Terminal, not Command Prompt.

   Authenticate with:

   kiro-cli login

   Verify installation and auth status:

   kiro-cli whoami

   For headless or CI usage, you can authenticate with:

   export KIRO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

   On Windows PowerShell:

   $env:KIRO_API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"

   If you run into issues, check:

   kiro-cli doctor

Install qmims

npm install -g qmims

Verify installation:

qmims --version

Usage

📖 Full command reference includes examples and walkthroughs.

Generate a README

# Generate README in auto mode
qmims generate

# Use a specific template
qmims generate --mode template:basic

# List available templates
qmims generate --mode template --list-available-templates

# Generate with a custom output file
qmims generate --output DOCS.md

# Generate for a specific project directory
qmims generate /path/to/project

Edit an Existing README

# Edit README.md in the current directory
qmims edit

# Edit a specific Markdown file
qmims edit path/to/README.md

Use Embedded Instructions

Add instructions directly inside a Markdown file:

# Project Title

<!-- qmims: Generate a concise project overview based on the repository's main purpose. -->

## Installation

<!-- qmims: Provide installation steps using the detected package manager and runtime requirements. -->

Then run:

qmims edit

Manage Configuration

# List all configuration settings
qmims config list

# Get a specific setting
qmims config get defaults.mode

# Set a configuration value
qmims config set defaults.templateName detailed

Manage Templates

# List all templates
qmims templates list

# Add a custom template
qmims templates add my-template path/to/template.md

# Remove a custom template
qmims templates remove my-template

Generation Modes

Auto Mode

Automatically analyzes your project and generates a README:

qmims generate --mode auto

Template Mode

Uses a predefined template to structure the README:

qmims generate --mode template:basic

Built-in templates include:

• basic
• detailed
• minimal
• library
• service

Instruct Mode

Uses embedded instructions from a Markdown file:

qmims generate --mode instruct

Or specify a file:

qmims generate --mode instruct:path/to/README.md

Advanced Options

• --force, -f: overwrite existing files without prompting
• --yes, -y: automatically approve Kiro tool permission requests
• --dry-run: show what would happen without making changes
• --verbose: print detailed diagnostic output

Configuration

Configuration is stored in the standard qmims config location for your platform.

Common configuration keys include:

• defaults.mode
• defaults.outputFileName
• defaults.templateName
• q.autoApproveEdits

Kiro Workflow Notes

qmims uses Kiro in non-interactive chat mode under the hood. Typical environment setup looks like this:

kiro-cli login
kiro-cli whoami
qmims generate

For headless environments:

export KIRO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
qmims generate

If Kiro is unavailable or authentication is missing, validate your setup with:

kiro-cli whoami
kiro-cli doctor

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgements

• Kiro for the CLI-powered AI workflow
• Node.js community for the runtime and ecosystem

Made with ❤️

qmims was created to make project documentation easier to generate and maintain. If it saves you time, that means it's doing its job.