Added a "Features" and an "Example usage" section to the README (hardbyte#343)

Author: felixdivo

README.rst

@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ python-can
 
 .. |docs| image:: https://readthedocs.org/projects/python-can/badge/?version=stable
    :target: https://python-can.readthedocs.io/en/stable/
-   :alt: Documentation build Status
-                
+   :alt: Documentation
+
 .. |build_travis| image:: https://travis-ci.org/hardbyte/python-can.svg?branch=develop
    :target: https://travis-ci.org/hardbyte/python-can/branches
    :alt: Travis CI Server for develop branch
@@ -22,16 +22,57 @@ python-can
 
 The **C**\ ontroller **A**\ rea **N**\ etwork is a bus standard designed
 to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other. It
-has priority based bus arbitration, reliable deterministic
+has priority based bus arbitration and reliable deterministic
 communication. It is used in cars, trucks, boats, wheelchairs and more.
 
 The ``can`` package provides controller area network support for
-Python developers; providing `common abstractions to
-different hardware devices`, and a suite of utilities for sending and receiving
+Python developers; providing common abstractions to
+different hardware devices, and a suite of utilities for sending and receiving
 messages on a can bus.
 
 The library supports Python 2.7, Python 3.4+ as well as PyPy 2 & 3 and runs on Mac, Linux and Windows.
 
+
+Features
+--------
+
+- common abstractions for CAN communication
+- support for many different backends (see the `docs <https://python-can.readthedocs.io/en/master/interfaces.html>`__)
+- receiving, sending, and periodically sending messages
+- normal and extended arbitration IDs
+- limited `CAN FD <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN_FD>`__ support
+- many different loggers and readers supporting playback: ASC (CANalyzer format), BLF (Binary Logging Format by Vector), CSV, SQLite and Canutils log
+- efficient in-kernel or in-hardware filtering of messages on supported interfaces
+- bus configuration reading from file or environment variables
+- more
+
+
+Example usage
+-------------
+
+::
+
+    # import the library
+    import can
+
+    # create a bus instance
+    # many other interfaces are supported as well (see below)
+    bus = can.Bus(interface='socketcan',
+                  channel='vcan0',
+                  receive_own_messages=True)
+
+    # send a message
+    message = can.Message(arbitration_id=123, extended_id=True,
+                          data=[0x11, 0x22, 0x33])
+    bus.send(message, timeout=0.2)
+
+    # iterate over received messages
+    for msg in bus:
+        print("{X}: {}".format(msg.arbitration_id, msg.data))
+
+    # or use an asynchronous notifier
+    notifier = can.Notifier(bus, [can.Logger("recorded.log"), can.Printer()])
+
 You can find more information in the documentation, online at
 `python-can.readthedocs.org <https://python-can.readthedocs.org/en/stable/>`__.
 
@@ -40,7 +81,7 @@ Discussion
 ----------
 
 If you run into bugs, you can file them in our
-`issue tracker <https://github.com/hardbyte/python-can/issues>`__.
+`issue tracker <https://github.com/hardbyte/python-can/issues>`__ on GitHub.
 
 There is also a `python-can <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/python-can>`__
 mailing list for development discussion.
@@ -51,6 +92,7 @@ questions and answers tagged with ``python+can``.
 Wherever we interact, we strive to follow the
 `Python Community Code of Conduct <https://www.python.org/psf/codeofconduct/>`__.
 
+
 Contributing
 ------------
 

can/io/asc.py

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class ASCReader(object):
     """
     Iterator of CAN messages from a ASC logging file.
 
-    TODO: turn realtive timestamps back to absolute form
+    TODO: turn relative timestamps back to absolute form
     """
 
     def __init__(self, filename):