Markdown Documents

Markdown Documents

Markdown is the default document format for normal writing, notes, reports, briefs, drafts, and collaborative text work unless the user explicitly asks for a binary office file. When they do ask for a LibreOffice office file, prefer ODF: ODT for Writer, ODS for Spreadsheet/Calc, and ODP for Presentation/Impress. Use DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX only for explicit OOXML compatibility.

The Editor surface is user-owned UI. Create or update the saved Markdown file, but never open the Editor automatically. Set open_in_canvas: true only when the user explicitly asks to open the canvas/Editor; otherwise already-open Editor sessions refresh automatically. Keep the final response to the saved/updated result and path; do not write faux UI action labels such as "Open document" or "Download file", and do not add a note saying the canvas was not opened automatically unless the user explicitly asks about UI behavior.

Workflow

1. Decide whether a saved editable artifact is useful. Create one for substantial, reusable, or collaborative writing; do not create one for tiny one-shot edits or answers that can be completed cleanly in chat.
2. Create Markdown with text_editor using action: "write" and an explicit .md path.
3. For edits to an existing Markdown file, read first when content matters, then use patch for targeted changes or write for deliberate full replacement.
4. Report the saved file path briefly. Do not say it was opened unless the user explicitly opened it.

Minimal create:

{
  "tool_name": "text_editor",
  "tool_args": {
    "action": "write",
    "path": "/a0/usr/workdir/Project Brief.md",
    "content": "# Project Brief\n\nDraft text here."
  }
}

Practical rules:

• Prefer Markdown over ODT/DOCX for writing unless a binary Writer/Word file is explicitly needed.
• Keep agent-only cleanup simple: if the user asks to fix a typo, update the file and finish; do not force a document-editor workflow.
• Use clear headings and Markdown tables when they improve editability.
• The Markdown Editor surface is available through the response file card.