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MarkItDown

Microsoft utility converting diverse file formats into Markdown.

What It Does

A Python library and command line utility extracting structured text from PDFs, Office documents, audio files, images, and archives.

Origin and Adaptation Notes

Language model context windows require text. MarkItDown extracts structural tables and formatting from binary formats cleanly.

Attribution: Open source software authored by Microsoft Corporation. Distributed under the MIT License.

When to Activate

  • •Extracting tables from Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint files
  • •Converting complex Word and PDF documents into clean Markdown
  • •Running locally via CLI or as an MCP server

When to Avoid

  • •Converting pure plain text files

Skill Specification and Runtime Setup

Full Instruction Specification
# MarkItDown Specification

## Overview
A Python library and command line utility extracting structured text from PDFs, Office documents, audio files, images, and archives.

## Rationale
Language model context windows require text. MarkItDown extracts structural tables and formatting from binary formats cleanly.

## Core Principles
* Always verify environment constraints and dependencies before executing.
* Enforce negative constraints and reject speculative abstractions.
* Validate output against stated acceptance rubrics.

## Execution Workflow
1. Discovery: Map requirements and inspect active context.
2. Decomposition: Break down the task into discrete, verifiable phases.
3. Execution: Implement surgical changes preserving existing code architecture.
4. Verification: Test all criteria before declaring completion.

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