docs: write the README and the CONTRIBUTING files

Author: BragdonD

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Contributing to jsonpointer-go
+
+Thank you for considering to contribute to `jsonpointer-go`! Below are some guidelines to help you get started.
+
+## How to Contribute
+
+1. Fork the repository
+2. Create a new branch (`git checkout -b feature-branch`)
+3. Commit your changes (`git commit -am 'Add new feature'`)
+4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature-branch`)
+5. Create a new Pull Request
+
+## Reporting Issues
+
+If you find any bugs or have feature requests, please create an issue on the [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/BragdonD/jsonpointer-go/issues) page.
+
+---
+
+Thank you for your contributions!

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,75 @@
-#  JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Pointer in Golang
+#  jsonpointer-go
 
+[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
+
+An implementation of RFC 6901 - JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Pointer in Golang.
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+- [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents)
+- [Introduction](#introduction)
+- [Installation](#installation)
+- [Usage](#usage)
+- [Contributing](#contributing)
+- [License](#license)
+
+## Introduction
+
+`jsonpointer-go` is a Go library for working with JSON Pointers as defined in [RFC 6901](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6901). JSON Pointers provide a way to reference specific parts of a JSON document.
+
+## Installation
+
+To install the library, simply run:
+
+```sh
+go get github.com/bragdond/jsonpointer-go
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+Here is a simple example of how to use `jsonpointer-go`:
+
+```go
+package main
+
+import (
+    "fmt"
+    "github.com/bragdond/jsonpointer-go"
+)
+
+func main() {   
+	jsonStr := `{
+        "foo": ["bar", "baz"],
+        "qux": {"corge": "grault"}
+    }`
+
+	var jsonData map[string]any
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(jsonStr), &jsonData); err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to unmarshal json string: %v", err))
+	}
+
+    pointer, err := jsonpointer.Parse("/foo/0")
+    if err != nil {
+        panic(err)
+    }
+
+    result, err := pointer.GetValue(jsonData)
+    if err != nil {
+        panic(err)
+    }
+
+    fmt.Println(result) // Output: bar
+}
+```
+
+## Contributing
+
+We welcome contributions! Please see the [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) file for guidelines on how to contribute.
+
+## License
+
+This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
+
+---
+
+Happy coding!