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Target: $ARGUMENTS
Parse immediately: - If target contains just a note name or path: convert text → note - If target requests another conversion form, explain that only text → note is currently implemented - If target is empty: ask which note to convert
Supported conversions
text → note (current)
The primary conversion. Adds frontmatter to a raw text file, making it structured and connectable.
Step 1: Locate and verify
Resolve the target to a file path. If just a name, search kb/notes/ recursively.
Read the file. Verify it has no frontmatter (does not start with ---). If it already has frontmatter, report that it's already structured and stop.
Step 2: Understand the content
Read the full file. Identify:
- The core topic (what is this about?) — needed for writing the description
- Whether the current filename matches the # Title heading (see Step 3a)
Step 3: Generate frontmatter
Add YAML frontmatter at the top of the file:
---
description: [50-200 chars, adds mechanism/scope/implication beyond the title]
type: kb/types/note.md
traits: []
tags: []
status: seedling
---
Rules:
- status is always seedling — conversion structures the note but does not endorse it. Human review flips to current.
- description must add information beyond the title. See note base type for quality criteria.
- traits is always [] — trait assignment is semantic work, done later by the cp-skill-validate skill or human review.
- tags is always [] — tag assignment is semantic work, done later by the cp-skill-connect skill or human review.
- Do NOT modify the body content. Conversion adds structure, not editorial changes.
Step 3a: Rename the file
After adding frontmatter, check whether the filename matches the # Title heading.
The filename should match the title — whether the title itself is good is a semantic question for the cp-skill-validate skill.
Decide whether to rename:
- If the current filename is already a good slug of the # Title — keep it
- If the filename diverges from the title (e.g. file is connect-pipeline-features.md but the title is # Connect pipeline should detect reciprocal links) — rename it to match
To rename:
1. Derive the new filename from the # Title heading. Slugify: lowercase, hyphens for spaces, strip punctuation, .md extension.
2. Check for backlinks to the old path:
bash
rg -l 'old-filename\.md' kb/
3. If backlinks exist, update them all to point to the new filename (preserve the same relative path structure — only the filename changes, not the directory).
4. Rename the file:
bash
git mv old-path/old-filename.md old-path/new-filename.md
Rules: - The file stays in its current directory. Rename only, no move. - If the title heading changed during frontmatter addition (it shouldn't — see "Do NOT modify body content"), use the original title.
Step 4: Report
=== CONVERTED: filename.md ===
text → note (status: seedling)
renamed: old-filename.md → new-filename.md [or "filename unchanged" if no rename]
backlinks updated: 3 files [or "none" if no backlinks]
description: [the description you wrote]
tags: []
Next steps:
- Run the `cp-skill-connect` skill on `new-filename.md` — find connections
- Run the `cp-skill-validate` skill on `new-filename.md` — check quality
- Review and set status: current when endorsed
===
Future conversions (not yet implemented)
These are documented as directions, not working features. If a user requests one, explain it's not implemented yet.
- note → structured-claim: add Evidence/Reasoning/Caveats sections and set the collection-local structured-claim type
- note → spec: add Design/Implementation sections
- note → review: add Findings section, date
- note → adr: add Context/Decision/Consequences sections
- any → text: strip frontmatter, demote to raw capture (for notes that didn't work out)
Critical Constraints
Never:
- Set status: current — that requires human review
- Modify body content — only add/change frontmatter
- Convert a text file that already has frontmatter (it's not a text file)
- Write a description that merely restates the title
- Move a file to a different directory — rename only changes the filename within its current directory
- Install software — if a required tool is missing, bail with an error
Always:
- Set status: seedling for text → note conversions
- Write a description that adds mechanism, scope, or implication
- Rename the file to match the # Title heading (unless it already does)
- Fix all backlinks when renaming
- Use git mv for renames so git tracks the history
- Report what was done so the user can review