dendron-generate

# Dendron Generate Generate papers, reports, summaries, and bibliographies from the Dendron knowledge base. ## When to Use Use this skill when the user wants to: - Write a paper or report from research notes - Generate a literature review from collected papers - Create a project summary or status report - Compile a bibliography from references - Synthesize information across multiple notes - Create a presentation or talk outline ## What It Does 1. **Identifies** relevant notes using indexes (by-topic or by-project) 2. **Collects** all related notes (projects, topic notes, papers, meetings) 3. **Reads** notes in logical order (background → methods → results) 4. **Synthesizes** information with proper structure 5. **Cites** sources using Pandoc/Zotero format `[@authorYYYY]` 6. **Generates** formatted content in the requested style 7. **Saves** as a new note: `report.YYYY.MM-topic.md` ## Usage ``` @dendron-generate [topic/project] as [format] ``` **Formats**: `paper`, `report`, `summary`, `bibliography`, `presentation`, `review` **Examples**: - `@dendron-generate <project-slug> as report` - `@dendron-generate <topic> as literature review` - `@dendron-generate <topic> as bibliography` - `@dendron-generate <project-slug> as summary` ## Workflow ### Step 1: Identify Scope Parse the user request: - **Topic** or **Project** focus - **Format** (paper, report, summary, etc.) - Optional: date range, specific sections ### Step 2: Collect Relevant Notes **Project-based generation**: 1. Read `_index.by-project.md` → find the project section 2. Read the main project file: `proj.YYYY.<project-name>.md` 3. Follow links: related topic notes, papers, meeting notes, people **Topic-based generation**: 1. Read `_index.by-topic.md` → find the topic section 2. Collect all linked notes (projects, topic notes, papers) 3. SQLite query for additional mentions: ```sql SELECT fname, raw, title FROM Note n JOIN Vault v ON n.vaultId=v.id WHERE v.fsPath='.' AND ( fname LIKE '%topic%' OR raw LIKE '%topic-keyword%' ); ``` ### Step 3: Organize Notes by Type - **Background**: topic/domain notes - **Methods**: protocol notes, project methodology - **Results**: project files, meeting notes with findings - **References**: paper notes (`user.*`) ### Step 4: Generate Content **Paper structure**: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References **Report structure**: Executive Summary, Background, Progress, Current Status, Next Steps, References **Bibliography structure**: annotated entries grouped by year with citation, summary, key findings, relevance **Literature review**: introduction, thematic/chronological organization, synthesis, conclusion, bibliography ### Step 5: Add Citations Use Pandoc/Zotero format: - Inline: `[@authorYYYY]` or `[@author1YYYY; @author2YYYY]` - Full citation: extract from `user.authorYYYY.md` frontmatter ### Step 6: Save Generated Content Create `report.YYYY.MM-<topic-name>.md` with standard Dendron frontmatter (`id`, `title`, `desc`, `updated`, `created`) plus custom fields: `date_generated`, `format`, `topic`, `sources`. **Required Dendron fields** (every note): - `id`: unique 23-char lowercase alphanumeric - `title`: note title - `desc`: brief description (may be empty) - `updated`: Unix timestamp in milliseconds - `created`: Unix timestamp in milliseconds **Helpers**: ```python import random import string import time def generate_dendron_id(): chars = string.ascii_lowercase + string.digits return ''.join(random.choice(chars) for _ in range(23)) def get_timestamp_ms(): return int(time.time() * 1000) ``` ### Step 7: Commit ```bash git add notes/report.YYYY.MM-<topic>.md git commit -m "Generate: report - <topic> <format>" ``` ## Format Templates ### Academic Paper - Abstract (150–250 words) - Introduction (background, motivation, contributions) - Related Work (literature review with citations) - Methods - Results - Discussion (interpretation, limitations) - Conclusion (summary, future work) - References ### Project Report - Executive Summary - Background & Motivation - Objectives & Goals - Progress to Date - Current Status & Metrics - Challenges & Solutions - Next Steps & Timeline - Resources & Team - References & Appendices ### Literature Review - Introduction (scope, purpose) - Organization (by theme or chronology) - For each paper: citation, summary, key contributions, methodology, limitations - Synthesis (themes, gaps, trends) - Conclusion (state of field, future directions) - Full Bibliography ### Brief Summary - Title & date - Purpose (1–2 sentences) - Key points (3–5 bullets) - Context (1 paragraph) - Implications (1 paragraph) - Sources (links to notes) ## Citation Management ### Extracting Citations Read frontmatter from `user.authorYYYY.md` files and format in the requested style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Cross-reference DOI when available. ### Building a Bibliography 1. Collect all `user.*` references from sources 2. Sort alphabetically by first author 3. Generate formatted citations 4. Link back to note files ## Quality Control Before finalizing: - All citations have sources - No broken links to notes - Proper frontmatter - Logical flow and structure - Consistent formatting ## Related Skills - **dendron-add** — add new information - **dendron-query** — query the knowledge base - **dendron-config** — vault configuration