| name | file_reader |
| description | Read and summarize text-based file types only. Prefer read_file for text formats; use execute_shell_command for type detection when needed. PDF/Office/images/archives are handled by other skills. |
| metadata | {"builtin_skill_version":"1.1","copaw":{"emoji":"📄","requires":{}}} |
File Reader Toolbox
Use this skill when the user asks to read or summarize local text-based files. PDFs, Office documents, images, audio, and video are out of scope for this skill and should be handled by their dedicated skills/tools.
Quick Type Check
Use a type probe before reading:
file -b --mime-type "/path/to/file"
If the file is large, avoid dumping the whole content; extract a small, relevant portion and summarize.
Text-Based Files (use read_file)
Preferred for: .txt, .md, .json, .yaml/.yml, .csv/.tsv, .log, .sql, ini, toml, py, js, html, xml source code.
Steps:
- Use
read_file to fetch content.
- Summarize key sections or show the relevant slice requested by the user.
- For JSON/YAML, list top-level keys and important fields.
- For CSV/TSV, show header + first few rows, then summarize columns.
Large Logs
If the file is huge, use a tail window:
tail -n 200 "/path/to/file.log"
Summarize the last errors/warnings and notable patterns.
Out of Scope
Do not handle the following in this skill (they are covered by other skills):
- PDF
- Office (docx/xlsx/pptx)
- Images
- Audio/Video
Safety and Behavior
- Never execute untrusted files.
- Prefer reading the smallest portion necessary.
- If a tool is missing, explain the limitation and ask the user for an alternate format.
