rvanbaalen Open Markdown in mdreader
After writing a markdown document that's meant to be read as a standalone document, offer to open it in mdreader so the user can read it comfortably in a rendered view.
What qualifies as a "document"
This skill applies to markdown files that are substantive, standalone documents someone would want to sit down and read. Think:
- Implementation plans
- Technical specs or RFCs
- Architecture or design documents
- Project proposals
- Status reports or summaries
- Any file the user explicitly asks to view
This skill does NOT apply to:
- Small edits to existing files (typo fixes, appending a line)
- CLAUDE.md or configuration files
- Code files that happen to have markdown comments
- Commit messages or PR descriptions
- Memory files
The distinction is simple: if you just wrote something the user will want to read through, offer to open it. If it's a quick edit they already know about, don't.
Workflow
1. Check if mdreader is available
Before offering to open anything, verify mdreader is installed:
which mdreader
If mdreader is not found, install it:
brew install rvanbaalen/tap/mdreader
If brew is not available or the install fails, tell the user mdreader couldn't be installed and provide the GitHub link: https://github.com/rvanbaalen/mdreader
2. Ask the user
After writing or creating a qualifying markdown document, use AskUserQuestion to ask:
Question: "I've written <filename> — would you like to open it in mdreader?"
Options:
- Yes — open it now
- No — continue without opening
Keep it lightweight. One question, two options. Don't over-explain what mdreader is.
3. Open in mdreader
If the user says yes, run:
mdreader <absolute-path-to-file>
mdreader runs as a background process (it opens in the user's default browser), so this won't block the session. After opening, continue with whatever comes next — don't wait for confirmation that it opened.
Multiple files in one session
If you write several qualifying documents in quick succession (e.g., a plan and a spec), batch them into a single question rather than asking repeatedly:
Question: "I've written these documents — want to open any in mdreader?"
Options:
- All — open all of them
- Pick — let me choose (then list them individually)
- None — skip
When the user asks to open a file
If the user explicitly asks to "open", "view", or "preview" a markdown file, skip the question and open it directly with mdreader. They already told you what they want.