Imported from egohygiene/empathy (.staging/.github/skills/update-markdown-file-index/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add egohygiene/empathy --skill update-markdown-file-index. Copyright stays with the author.

Update Markdown File Index

Update markdown file ${file} with an index/table of files from folder ${input:folder}.

Process

1. Scan: Read the target markdown file ${file} to understand existing structure
2. Discover: List all files in the specified folder ${input:folder} matching pattern ${input:pattern}
3. Analyze: Identify if an existing table/index section exists to update, or create new structure
4. Structure: Generate appropriate table/list format based on file types and existing content
5. Update: Replace existing section or add new section with file index
6. Validate: Ensure markdown syntax is valid and formatting is consistent

File Analysis

For each discovered file, extract:

• Name: Filename with or without extension based on context
• Type: File extension and category (e.g., .md, .js, .py)
• Description: First line comment, header, or inferred purpose
• Size: File size for reference (optional)
• Modified: Last modified date (optional)

Table Structure Options

Choose format based on file types and existing content:

Option 1: Simple List

## Files in ${folder}

- [filename.ext](path/to/filename.ext) - Description
- [filename2.ext](path/to/filename2.ext) - Description

Option 2: Detailed Table

Option 3: Categorized Sections

Group files by type/category with separate sections or sub-tables.

Update Strategy

• 🔄 Update existing: If table/index section exists, replace content while preserving structure
• ➕ Add new: If no existing section, create new section using best-fit format
• 📋 Preserve: Maintain existing markdown formatting, heading levels, and document flow
• 🔗 Links: Use relative paths for file links within the repository

Section Identification

Look for existing sections with these patterns:

• Headings containing: "index", "files", "contents", "directory", "list"
• Tables with file-related columns
• Lists with file links
• HTML comments marking file index sections

Requirements

• Preserve existing markdown structure and formatting
• Use relative paths for file links
• Include file descriptions when available
• Sort files alphabetically by default
• Handle special characters in filenames
• Validate all generated markdown syntax