Rewrite README.md sentence by sentence for a newcomer

The old README was one dense specification: long sentences, lists
chained with commas, exceptions ahead of the rules, and release
history in the user text. This rewrite leads with what the program is
and how to use it, then gives a reference for the settings, each
subcommand, the database, the output formats, the progress display
and the exit codes. Non-goals come before the reference; the
constraints, the entrypoints and the build come last. Every statement
was checked against the code on next and against the built binary on
small trees. The section names the code comments cite are kept. Five
comments in main_test.go cite Settings, and one each in scan_test.go,
trees_test.go and exclude_test.go cites what the README now says.
TODO.md records the step.

Model: fable-5-1

TODO.md

@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- `README.md` rewritten from scratch, sentence by sentence, as a newcomer reads
+  it. It leads with what the program is and how to use it. A reference section
+  covers every setting and every subcommand. Development and testing come last.
+  Every statement was checked against the code on `next`. Five comments in
+  `main_test.go` cite "Settings", where their rules now live. One comment each
+  in `scan_test.go`, `trees_test.go` and `exclude_test.go` cites what the README
+  now says (2026-10-26, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/135)
+
 - an operand at or inside a directory named `.zfs` is never scanned, whether
   given alone or under another operand. `scan` warns about it, counts it as
   skipped and does not walk it (2026-10-26,

exclude_test.go

@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ import (
 func TestDefaultExcludes(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	// README "Rules for the walk": each system's list.
+	// README "Rules for the walk": the Linux and macOS lists, and none
+	// on any other system. The Windows list exists in the code only: the
+	// binary does not build for Windows, so the README leaves it out.
 	cases := map[string][]string{
 		goosLinux: {"/proc", "/sys", "/dev", "/run", "/tmp", "/var/tmp"},
 		goosDarwin: {

main_test.go

@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ func TestRunNamesRelativeDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRunUsesDatabaseThroughSymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
-	// README §Database: the path names the file exactly. With link a
+	// README §Settings: the path names the file exactly. With link a
 	// symlink to the directory real/sub, link/../db.sqlite names
 	// real/db.sqlite, not db.sqlite beside link. Every subcommand must
 	// use that file, relative or absolute, and its first line must name
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ func TestRunUsageErrors(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRunScanRejectsWorkersBelowOne(t *testing.T) {
-	// README §scan mode: --workers below 1 is a usage error reported in
+	// README §Settings: --workers below 1 is a usage error reported in
 	// one line on stderr, before the scan opens the database.
 	for _, workers := range []string{"0", "-1"} {
 		t.Run(workers, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -686,8 +686,8 @@ func TestRunScanRejectsWorkersBelowOne(t *testing.T) {
 func TestRunHelp(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	// README §Subcommands: help goes to stderr, exits 0, and leaves
+	// README §Settings: help goes to stderr, exits 0, and leaves stdout
-	// stdout empty.
+	// empty.
 	cases := [][]string{{"--help"}, {"-h"}, {cmdScan, "--help"}}
 
 	for _, args := range cases {
@@ -713,8 +713,8 @@ func TestRunHelp(t *testing.T) {
 func TestRunVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	// README §Subcommands: the version is one line on stdout, with
+	// README §Settings: the version is one line on stdout, with nothing
-	// nothing on stderr, and exits 0.
+	// on stderr, and exits 0.
 	info, _ := debug.ReadBuildInfo()
 
 	for _, arg := range []string{"--version", "-v"} {
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ func assertRunsUseDatabase(t *testing.T, dir, name string) {
 }
 
 func TestRunDatabasePathUsedAsGiven(t *testing.T) {
-	// README §Database: the path names the database file exactly. In
+	// README §Settings: the path names the database file exactly. In
 	// SQLite's connection string an unescaped ? or # would end the file
 	// name and % would start an escape, and a path starting with //
 	// could be read as a host name. %25 is a valid escape, so unescaped

scan_test.go

@@ -1064,8 +1064,9 @@ func TestScanOneFilesystemWalksNestedFileOperand(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// buildSmokeTree recreates the README smoke-test filesystem layout
+// buildSmokeTree recreates the tree of the test under README
-// with deterministic content and returns the tree root.
+// "Definition of done" with deterministic content and returns the tree
+// root.
 func buildSmokeTree(t *testing.T) string {
 	t.Helper()
 

trees_test.go

@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ import (
 const treesOpenLine = "[1/4] open: opening the database, elapsed 0s, " +
 	"remain unknown"
 
-// smokeTreeRecs mirrors the README smoke-test tree layout: /d/t1 and
+// smokeTreeRecs mirrors the tree of the test under README "Definition
-// /d/t2 are identical, /d/t3 differs from them only by one filename.
+// of done": /d/t1 and /d/t2 are identical, /d/t3 differs from them only
+// by one filename.
 func smokeTreeRecs() []scanRec {
 	f1Head, f1Tail, f1Content := testHash("f1h"), testHash("f1t"), testHash("f1c")
 	f2Head, f2Tail, f2Content := testHash("f2h"), testHash("f2t"), testHash("f2c")