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+Getting started
+===============
+
+Cowboy does nothing by default.
+
+Cowboy requires the `crypto` and `ranch` applications to be started.
+
+``` erlang
+ok = application:start(crypto).
+ok = application:start(ranch).
+ok = application:start(cowboy).
+```
+
+Cowboy uses Ranch for handling the connections and provides convenience
+functions to start Ranch listeners.
+
+The `cowboy:start_http/4` function starts a listener for HTTP connections
+using the TCP transport. The `cowboy:start_https/4` function starts a
+listener for HTTPS connections using the SSL transport.
+
+Listeners are a group of processes that are used to accept and manage
+connections. The processes used specifically for accepting connections
+are called acceptors. The number of acceptor processes is unrelated to
+the maximum number of connections Cowboy can handle. Please refer to
+the [Ranch guide](http://ninenines.eu/docs/en/ranch/HEAD/guide/toc)
+for in-depth information.
+
+Listeners are named. They spawn a given number of acceptors, listen for
+connections using the given transport options and pass along the protocol
+options to the connection processes. The protocol options must include
+the dispatch list for routing requests to handlers.
+
+The dispatch list is explained in greater details in the
+[Routing](routing.md) chapter.
+
+``` erlang
+Dispatch = cowboy_router:compile([
+    %% {URIHost, list({URIPath, Handler, Opts})}
+    {'_', [{'_', my_handler, []}]}
+]),
+%% Name, NbAcceptors, TransOpts, ProtoOpts
+cowboy:start_http(my_http_listener, 100,
+    [{port, 8080}],
+    [{env, [{dispatch, Dispatch}]}]
+).
+```
+
+Cowboy features many kinds of handlers. For this simple example,
+we will just use the plain HTTP handler, which has three callback
+functions: init/3, handle/2 and terminate/3. You can find more information
+about the arguments and possible return values of these callbacks in the
+[cowboy_http_handler function reference](http://ninenines.eu/docs/en/cowboy/HEAD/manual/cowboy_http_handler).
+Following is an example of a simple HTTP handler module.
+
+``` erlang
+-module(my_handler).
+-behaviour(cowboy_http_handler).
+
+-export([init/3]).
+-export([handle/2]).
+-export([terminate/3]).
+
+init({tcp, http}, Req, Opts) ->
+    {ok, Req, undefined_state}.
+
+handle(Req, State) ->
+    {ok, Req2} = cowboy_req:reply(200, [], <<"Hello World!">>, Req),
+    {ok, Req2, State}.
+
+terminate(Reason, Req, State) ->
+    ok.
+```
+
+The `Req` variable above is the Req object, which allows the developer
+to obtain information about the request and to perform a reply. Its usage
+is explained in the [cowboy_req function reference](http://ninenines.eu/docs/en/cowboy/HEAD/manual/cowboy_req).
+
+You can find many examples in the `examples/` directory of the
+Cowboy repository. A more complete "Hello world" example can be
+found in the `examples/hello_world/` directory.