docs: add description of packages for the monorepo

MONOREPO.md

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# loopback-next
+
+The [loopback-next](https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-next) repository uses
+[lerna](https://lernajs.io/) to manage multiple packages for LoopBack 4.
+
+## Packages
+
+| Package                                                   | npm                           | Description               |
+|-----------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------|
+|[build](packages/build)                                    |@loopback/build                 | A set of common scripts and default configurations to build LoopBack 4 or other TypeScript modules |
+|[testlab](packages/testlab)                                |@loopback/testlib               | A collection of test utilities we use to write LoopBack tests |
+|[cli](packages/cli)                                        |@loopback/cli                   | CLI for LoopBack 4            |
+|[metadata](packages/metadata)                              |@loopback/metadata              | Utilities to help developers implement TypeScript decorators, define/merge metadata, and inspect metadata |
+|[context](packages/context)                                |@loopback/context               | Facilities to manage artifacts and their dependencies in your Node.js applications. The module exposes TypeScript/JavaScript APIs and decorators to register artifacts, declare dependencies, and resolve artifacts by keys. It also serves as an IoC container to support dependency injection. |
+|[core](packages/core)                                      |@loopback/core                  | Define and implement core constructs such as Application and Component |
+|[openapi-spec](packages/openapi-spec)                      |@loopback/openapi-spec          | TypeScript type definitions for OpenAPI Spec/Swagger documents |
+|[openapi-spec-builder](packages/openapi-spec-builder)      |@loopback/openapi-spec-builder  | Builders to create OpenAPI (Swagger) specification documents in tests |
+|[openapi-v2](packages/openapi-v2)                          |@loopback/openapi-v2            | Decorators that annotate LoopBack artifacts with OpenAPI v2 (Swagger) metadata and utilities that transform LoopBack metadata to OpenAPI v2 (Swagger) specifications|
+|[rest](packages/rest)                                      |@loopback/rest                  | Expose controllers as  REST endpoints and route REST API requests to controller methods |
+|[repository](packages/repository)                          |@loopback/repository            | Define and implement a common set of interfaces for interacting with databases|
+|[repository-json-schema](packages/repository-json-schema)  |@loopback/repository-json-schema| Convert a TypeScript class/model to a JSON Schema |
+|[authentication](packages/authentication)                  |@loopback/authentication        | A component for authentication support |
+|[example-hello-world](packages/example-hello-world)        |                                | A simple hello-world application using LoopBack 4 |
+|[example-getting-started](packages/example-getting-started)|                                | A basic tutorial for getting started with Loopback 4 |
+|[example-log-extension](packages/example-log-extension)    |                                | An example showing how to write a complex log extension for LoopBack 4 |
+|[example-rpc-server](packages/example-rpc-server)          |                                | An example RPC server and application to demonstrate the creation of your own custom server |
+
+## Working with the repository
+
+We use npm scripts declared in [package.json](package.json) to work with the
+monorepo managed by lerna.
+
+### Set up the project
+```sh
+git clone https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-next.git
+cd loopback-next
+npm run bootstrap
+```
+
+### Common tasks
+
+| Task             | Command               | Description |
+|------------------|-----------------------|-------------|
+|Bootstrap packages|`npm run bootstrap`    |Install npm dependencies for all packages and create symbolic links for intra-dependencies. It's required for the initial setup or the list of packages is changed |
+|Build packages    |`npm run build`        |Transpile TypeScript files into JavaScript |
+|Run tests         |`npm test`             |Clean, build, run mocha tests, and perform lint checks |
+|Fix lint issues   |`npm run lint:fix`     |Fix lint issues, including tslint rules and prettier formatting |
+
+### Build a release
+
+When we are ready to tag and publish a release, run the following commands:
+```sh
+cd loopback-next
+git checkout master
+git pull
+npm run release
+```
+
+The `release` script will automatically perform the tasks for all packages:
+
+- Clean up `node_modules`
+- Install/link dependencies
+- Transpile TypeScript files into JavaScript
+- Run mocha tests
+- Check lint (tslint and prettier) issues
+
+If all steps are successful, it prompts you to publish packages into npm repository.

README.md

@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ LoopBack makes it easy to build modern applications that require complex integra
 - Define your data and endpoints with OpenAPI
 - No maintenance of generated code
 
+# Work with this repository
+
+This repository uses [lerna](https://lernajs.io/) to manage multiple packages/modules
+for LoopBack 4. Please see [MONOREPO.md](MONOREPO.md) for instructions to work with this monorepo.
+
 # Status: Developer Preview #1
 
 LoopBack 4 is a work in progress, the public API is frequently changed in
@@ -82,6 +87,7 @@ See [all contributors](https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-next/graphs/contri
 
 # Contributing
 
+- [Working with this repository](MONOREPO.md)
 - [Guidelines](https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-next/wiki/Contributing#guidelines)
 - [Join the team](https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-next/issues/110)