- Updated SKILL.md in citation management to include best practices for identifying seminal and high-impact papers, emphasizing citation count thresholds, venue quality tiers, and author reputation indicators. - Expanded literature review SKILL.md to prioritize high-impact papers, detailing citation metrics, journal tiers, and author reputation assessment. - Added comprehensive evaluation strategies for paper impact and quality in literature_search_strategies.md, including citation count significance and journal impact factor guidance. - Improved research lookup scripts to prioritize results based on citation count, venue prestige, and author reputation, enhancing the quality of research outputs.
4.9 KiB
MarkItDown Skill
This skill provides comprehensive support for converting various file formats to Markdown using Microsoft's MarkItDown tool.
Overview
MarkItDown is a Python tool that converts files and office documents to Markdown format. This skill includes:
- Complete API documentation
- Format-specific conversion guides
- Utility scripts for batch processing
- AI-enhanced conversion examples
- Integration with scientific workflows
Contents
Main Skill File
- SKILL.md - Complete guide to using MarkItDown with quick start, examples, and best practices
References
- api_reference.md - Detailed API documentation, class references, and method signatures
- file_formats.md - Format-specific details for all supported file types
Scripts
- batch_convert.py - Batch convert multiple files with parallel processing
- convert_with_ai.py - AI-enhanced conversion with custom prompts
- convert_literature.py - Scientific literature conversion with metadata extraction
Assets
- example_usage.md - Practical examples for common use cases
Installation
# Install with all features
pip install 'markitdown[all]'
# Or install specific features
pip install 'markitdown[pdf,docx,pptx,xlsx]'
Quick Start
from markitdown import MarkItDown
md = MarkItDown()
result = md.convert("document.pdf")
print(result.text_content)
Supported Formats
- Documents: PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, EPUB
- Images: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP (with OCR)
- Audio: WAV, MP3 (with transcription)
- Web: HTML, YouTube URLs
- Data: CSV, JSON, XML
- Archives: ZIP files
Key Features
1. AI-Enhanced Conversions
Use AI models via OpenRouter to generate detailed image descriptions:
from openai import OpenAI
# OpenRouter provides access to 100+ AI models
client = OpenAI(
api_key="your-openrouter-api-key",
base_url="https://openrouter.ai/api/v1"
)
md = MarkItDown(
llm_client=client,
llm_model="anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5" # recommended for vision
)
result = md.convert("presentation.pptx")
2. Batch Processing
Convert multiple files efficiently:
python scripts/batch_convert.py papers/ output/ --extensions .pdf .docx
3. Scientific Literature
Convert and organize research papers:
python scripts/convert_literature.py papers/ output/ --organize-by-year --create-index
4. Azure Document Intelligence
Enhanced PDF conversion with Microsoft Document Intelligence:
md = MarkItDown(docintel_endpoint="https://YOUR-ENDPOINT.cognitiveservices.azure.com/")
result = md.convert("complex_document.pdf")
Use Cases
Literature Review
Convert research papers to Markdown for easier analysis and note-taking.
Data Extraction
Extract tables from Excel files into Markdown format.
Presentation Processing
Convert PowerPoint slides with AI-generated descriptions.
Document Analysis
Process documents for LLM consumption with token-efficient Markdown.
YouTube Transcripts
Fetch and convert YouTube video transcriptions.
Scripts Usage
Batch Convert
# Convert all PDFs in a directory
python scripts/batch_convert.py input_dir/ output_dir/ --extensions .pdf
# Recursive with multiple formats
python scripts/batch_convert.py docs/ markdown/ --extensions .pdf .docx .pptx -r
AI-Enhanced Conversion
# Convert with AI descriptions via OpenRouter
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."
python scripts/convert_with_ai.py paper.pdf output.md --prompt-type scientific
# Use different models
python scripts/convert_with_ai.py image.png output.md --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
# Use custom prompt
python scripts/convert_with_ai.py image.png output.md --custom-prompt "Describe this diagram"
Literature Conversion
# Convert papers with metadata extraction
python scripts/convert_literature.py papers/ markdown/ --organize-by-year --create-index
Integration with Scientific Writer
This skill integrates seamlessly with the Scientific Writer CLI for:
- Converting source materials for paper writing
- Processing literature for reviews
- Extracting data from various document formats
- Preparing documents for LLM analysis
Resources
- MarkItDown GitHub: https://github.com/microsoft/markitdown
- PyPI: https://pypi.org/project/markitdown/
- OpenRouter: https://openrouter.ai (AI model access)
- OpenRouter API Keys: https://openrouter.ai/keys
- OpenRouter Models: https://openrouter.ai/models
- License: MIT
Requirements
- Python 3.10+
- Optional dependencies based on formats needed
- OpenRouter API key (for AI-enhanced conversions) - Get at https://openrouter.ai/keys
- Azure subscription (optional, for Document Intelligence)
Examples
See assets/example_usage.md for comprehensive examples covering:
- Basic conversions
- Scientific workflows
- AI-enhanced processing
- Batch operations
- Error handling
- Integration patterns