README: Clarify that HCL is just syntax

The readme was previously unclear about the fact that HCL is not a configuration language in itself but rather a toolkit for defining and parsing configuration languages.

It may still not be totally clear, but it is hopefully clearer than it was.

1 files changed, 10 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f18fee9..9ae0baf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 # HCL
 
-HCL is a structured configuration language that is both human- and
-machine-friendly, for use with command-line tools. Although intended to be
-generally useful, it is primarily targeted towards devops tools, servers, etc.
+HCL is a toolkit for creating structured configuration languages that are
+both human- and machine-friendly, for use with command-line tools.
+Although intended to be generally useful, it is primarily targeted
+towards devops tools, servers, etc.
 
 HCL has both a _native syntax_, intended to be pleasant to read and write for
 humans, and a JSON-based variant that is easier for machines to generate
@@ -16,6 +17,12 @@ It includes an expression syntax that allows basic inline computation and,
 with support from the calling application, use of variables and functions
 for more dynamic configuration languages.
 
+HCL provides a set of constructs that can be used by a calling application to
+construct a configuration language. The application defines which attribute
+names and nested block types are expected, and HCL parses the configuration
+file, verifies that it conforms to the expected structure, and returns
+high-level objects that the application can use for further processing.
+
 ## Experimental HCL2
 
 This repository contains the experimental version 2 of HCL. This new version