baoyu-format-markdown

Transforms plain text or markdown into well-structured, reader-friendly markdown with improved formatting. Analyzes content structure, identifies key insights, and applies strategic formatting (headings, bold, lists, tables, blockquotes) without changing original words Generates or optimizes frontmatter with title, slug, summary, and description fields; supports auto-selection via EXTEND.md configuration Runs typography scripts for CJK/English spacing, emphasis fixes, and optional quote replacement via bun or npx Outputs formatted file as {filename}-formatted.md with backup of existing files; generates analysis report documenting all changes

INSTALLATION
npx skills add https://github.com/jimliu/baoyu-skills --skill baoyu-format-markdown
Run in your project or agent environment. Adjust flags if your CLI version differs.

SKILL.md

$2a

Script

Purpose

scripts/main.ts

Main entry point with CLI options (uses remark-cjk-friendly for CJK emphasis)

scripts/quotes.ts

Replace ASCII quotes with fullwidth quotes

scripts/autocorrect.ts

Add CJK/English spacing via autocorrect

Preferences (EXTEND.md)

Check EXTEND.md in priority order — the first one found wins:

Priority

Path

Scope

1

.baoyu-skills/baoyu-format-markdown/EXTEND.md

Project

2

${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/baoyu-skills/baoyu-format-markdown/EXTEND.md

XDG

3

$HOME/.baoyu-skills/baoyu-format-markdown/EXTEND.md

User home

If none found, use defaults — no first-time setup required for this skill.

EXTEND.md supports:

Setting

Values

Default

Description

auto_select

true/false

false

Skip both title and summary selection, auto-pick best

auto_select_title

true/false

false

Skip title selection only

auto_select_summary

true/false

false

Skip summary selection only

Other

Default formatting options, typography preferences

Usage

The workflow has two phases: Analyze (understand the content) then Format (apply formatting). Claude performs content analysis and formatting (Steps 1-5), then runs the script for typography fixes (Step 6).

Workflow

Step 1: Read & Detect Content Type

Read the user-specified file, then detect content type:

Indicator

Classification

Has --- YAML frontmatter

Markdown

Has #, ##, ### headings

Markdown

Has **bold**, *italic*, lists, code blocks, blockquotes

Markdown

None of above

Plain text

**If Markdown detected, use AskUserQuestion to ask:**

Detected existing markdown formatting. What would you like to do?

1. Optimize formatting (Recommended)

   - Analyze content, improve headings, bold, lists for readability

   - Run typography script (spacing, emphasis fixes)

   - Output: {filename}-formatted.md

2. Keep original formatting

   - Preserve existing markdown structure

   - Run typography script only

   - Output: {filename}-formatted.md

3. Typography fixes only

   - Run typography script on original file in-place

   - No copy created, modifies original file directly

Based on user choice:

  • Optimize: Continue to Step 2 (full workflow)
  • Keep original: Skip to Step 5, copy file then run Step 6
  • Typography only: Skip to Step 6, run on original file directly

Step 2: Analyze Content (Reader's Perspective)

Read the entire content carefully. Think from a reader's perspective: what would help them quickly understand and remember the key information?

Produce an analysis covering these dimensions:

2.1 Highlights & Key Insights

  • Core arguments or conclusions the author makes
  • Surprising facts, data points, or counterintuitive claims
  • Memorable quotes or well-phrased sentences (golden quotes)

2.2 Structure Assessment

  • Does the content have a clear logical flow? What is it?
  • Are there natural section boundaries that lack headings?
  • Are there long walls of text that could benefit from visual breaks?

2.3 Reader-Important Information

  • Actionable advice or takeaways
  • Definitions, explanations of key concepts
  • Lists or enumerations buried in prose
  • Comparisons or contrasts that would be clearer as tables

2.4 Formatting Issues

  • Missing or inconsistent heading hierarchy
  • Paragraphs that mix multiple topics
  • Parallel items written as prose instead of lists
  • Code, commands, or technical terms not marked as code
  • Obvious typos or formatting errors

Save analysis to file: {original-filename}-analysis.md

The analysis file serves as the blueprint for Step 3. Use this format:

# Content Analysis: {filename}

## Highlights & Key Insights

- [list findings]

## Structure Assessment

- Current flow: [describe]

- Suggested sections: [list heading candidates with brief rationale]

## Reader-Important Information

- [list actionable items, key concepts, buried lists, potential tables]

## Formatting Issues

- [list specific issues with location references]

## Typos Found

- [list any obvious typos with corrections, or "None found"]

Step 3: Check/Create Frontmatter, Title & Summary

Check for YAML frontmatter (--- block). Create if missing.

Field

Processing

title

See Title Generation below

slug

Infer from file path or generate from title

summary

One-sentence concise summary (see Summary Generation below)

description

Longer descriptive summary (see Summary Generation below)

coverImage

Check if imgs/cover.png exists in same directory; if so, use relative path

#### Title Generation

Whether or not a title already exists, run the title optimization flow unless auto_select_title is set.

Preparation — read the full text and extract:

  • Core argument (one sentence: "what is this article about?")
  • Most impactful opinion or conclusion
  • Reader pain point or curiosity trigger
  • Most memorable metaphor or golden quote

Generate candidates using formulas from references/title-formulas.md:

  • Select the 2-3 best-matching hook formulas based on the article's content, tone, and structure (see "When to pick each formula" in the reference)
  • Generate 1-2 straightforward titles (descriptive or declarative, no formula — clear and accurate)
  • If the user specifies a direction (e.g., "make it suspenseful"), prioritize that direction
  • Total: 4-5 candidates

Present via AskUserQuestion:

Pick a title:

1. [Hook title A] — (recommended) [formula name]

2. [Hook title B] — [formula name]

3. [Hook title C] — [formula name]

4. [Straightforward title D] — straightforward

5. [Straightforward title E] — straightforward

Enter number, or type a custom title:

Put the strongest hook first and mark it (recommended). See references/title-formulas.md for principles and prohibited patterns.

If the first line is an H1, extract it to frontmatter and remove it from the body. If frontmatter already has a title, include it as context but still generate fresh candidates — the existing title may be weak.

Skip behavior: If auto_select: true or auto_select_title: true, skip the user prompt and use the top candidate directly.

#### Summary Generation

Generate two versions directly (no user selection), both stored in frontmatter:

Field

Length

Purpose

summary

1 sentence, ~50-80 chars

Concise hook — for feeds, social sharing, SEO meta

description

2-3 sentences, ~100-200 chars

Richer context — for article previews, newsletter blurbs

Principles:

  • Convey core value to the reader, not just the topic
  • Use concrete details (numbers, outcomes, specific methods) over vague descriptions
  • summary should be punchy and self-contained; description can expand with supporting details
  • If frontmatter already has summary or description, keep the existing one and only generate the missing field

Prohibited patterns:

  • "This article introduces...", "This article explores..."
  • Pure topic description without value proposition
  • Repeating the title in different words

Once the title is in frontmatter, the body should NOT contain an H1 (avoid duplication).

Step 4: Format Content

Apply formatting guided by the Step 2 analysis. The goal is making the content scannable and the key points impossible to miss.

Formatting toolkit:

Element

When to use

Format

Headings

Natural topic boundaries, section breaks

##, ### hierarchy

Bold

Key conclusions, important terms, core takeaways

**bold**

Unordered lists

Parallel items, feature lists, examples

- item

Ordered lists

Sequential steps, ranked items, procedures

1. item

Tables

Comparisons, structured data, option matrices

Markdown table

Code

Commands, file paths, technical terms, variable names

inline or fenced blocks

Blockquotes

Notable quotes, important warnings, cited text

> quote

Separators

Major topic transitions

---

Formatting principles — what NOT to do:

  • Do NOT add sentences, explanations, or commentary
  • Do NOT delete or shorten any content
  • Do NOT rephrase or rewrite the author's words
  • Do NOT add headings that editorialize (e.g., "Amazing Discovery" — use neutral descriptive headings)
  • Do NOT over-format: not every sentence needs bold, not every paragraph needs a heading

Formatting principles — what TO do:

  • Preserve the author's voice, tone, and every word
  • Bold key conclusions and core takeaways — the sentences a reader would highlight
  • Extract parallel items from prose into lists only when the structure is clearly there
  • Add headings where the topic genuinely shifts — prefer vivid, specific headings over generic ones (e.g., "3 天搞定 vs 传统方案" over "方案对比")
  • Use tables for comparisons or structured data buried in prose
  • Use blockquotes for golden quotes, memorable statements, or important warnings
  • Fix obvious typos (based on Step 2 findings)

Step 5: Save Formatted File

Save as {original-filename}-formatted.md

Backup existing file:

if [ -f "{filename}-formatted.md" ]; then

  mv "{filename}-formatted.md" "{filename}-formatted.backup-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).md"

fi

Step 6: Execute Typography Script

Run the formatting script on the output file:

${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/main.ts {output-file-path} [options]

Script Options:

Option

Short

Description

Default

--quotes

-q

Replace ASCII quotes with fullwidth quotes "..."

false

--no-quotes

Do not replace quotes

--spacing

-s

Add CJK/English spacing via autocorrect

true

--no-spacing

Do not add CJK/English spacing

--emphasis

-e

Fix CJK emphasis punctuation issues

true

--no-emphasis

Do not fix CJK emphasis issues

Examples:

# Default: spacing + emphasis enabled, quotes disabled

${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/main.ts article.md

# Enable all features including quote replacement

${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/main.ts article.md --quotes

# Only fix emphasis issues, skip spacing

${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/main.ts article.md --no-spacing

Script performs (based on options):

  • Fix CJK emphasis/bold punctuation issues (default: enabled)
  • Add CJK/English mixed text spacing via autocorrect (default: enabled)
  • Replace ASCII quotes with fullwidth quotes (default: disabled)
  • Format frontmatter YAML (always enabled)

Step 7: Completion Report

Display a report summarizing all changes made:

**Formatting Complete**

**Files:**

- Analysis: {filename}-analysis.md

- Formatted: {filename}-formatted.md

**Content Analysis Summary:**

- Highlights found: X key insights

- Golden quotes: X memorable sentences

- Formatting issues fixed: X items

**Changes Applied:**

- Frontmatter: [added/updated] (title, slug, summary)

- Headings added: X (##: N, ###: N)

- Bold markers added: X

- Lists created: X (from prose → list conversion)

- Tables created: X

- Code markers added: X

- Blockquotes added: X

- Typos fixed: X [list each: "original" → "corrected"]

**Typography Script:**

- CJK spacing: [applied/skipped]

- Emphasis fixes: [applied/skipped]

- Quote replacement: [applied/skipped]

Adjust the report to reflect actual changes — omit categories where no changes were made.

Notes

  • Preserve original writing style and tone
  • Specify correct language for code blocks (e.g., python, javascript)
  • Maintain CJK/English spacing standards
  • The analysis file is a working document — it helps maintain consistency between what was identified and what was formatted

Extension Support

Custom configurations via EXTEND.md. See Preferences section for paths and supported options.

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