Output Formats

PTX Format (Default)

PTX (Promptext Context Format) is a hybrid format that combines TOON v1.3 metadata efficiency with readable multiline code blocks. This default format provides 25-30% token reduction compared to JSON while maintaining code readability for debugging and analysis.

promptext               # Uses PTX by default
promptext -f ptx        # Explicit PTX format
promptext -o code.ptx   # Auto-detected from extension
promptext -o code.toon  # Backward compatibility (maps to PTX)

Structure:

PTX uses TOON v1.3 compliant syntax for metadata sections with multiline code blocks for readability:

metadata:
  dependencies[6]: github.com/spf13/pflag,github.com/jedib0t/go-pretty/v6,github.com/pkoukk/tiktoken-go,github.com/atotto/clipboard,gopkg.in/yaml.v3,github.com/stretchr/testify
  language: Go
  total_files: 18
  total_lines: 2390
  version: 1.24.1

git:
  branch: main
  commit: f8fbf27
  message: docs: Update changelog

stats:
  totalFiles: 18
  totalLines: 2390
  packages: 8
  fileTypes:
    - type: go
      count: 14
    - type: md
      count: 3

structure:
  .:
    - go.mod
    - go.sum
    - README.md
  cmd/promptext:
    - main.go
  internal/config:
    - config.go
    - config_test.go

files:
  - path: cmd/promptext/main.go
    ext: go
    lines: 89
  - path: internal/config/config.go
    ext: go
    lines: 156

code:
  cmd_promptext_main_go: |
    package main

    import (
      "fmt"
      "log"
      "os"
    )

    func main() {
      // Application entry point
      ...
    }
  internal_config_config_go: |
    package config

    import (
      "os"
      "path/filepath"
    )
    ...

Format Design:

The PTX format prioritizes:

• TOON v1.3 metadata - Token-efficient metadata using inline arrays and tabular formats
• Multiline code blocks - YAML-style | syntax preserves code formatting and indentation
• Hybrid approach - Combines TOON efficiency for metadata with readability for code
• Count markers - Array lengths included ([N]) for quick sizing
• Sanitized keys - File paths converted to valid keys (e.g., cmd/main.go → cmd_main_go)

Benefits:

• 25-30% token reduction - Significant savings vs JSON while maintaining readability
• Debugging-friendly - Code remains scannable with preserved formatting
• LLM-optimized - Structure designed for AI assistant comprehension
• No escaping needed - Multiline blocks avoid escape sequences in code
• Multiline code support - Preserves formatting with | syntax
• Compact metadata - Nested objects avoid repetition

When to use:

• Default for all AI assistant interactions
• Code-heavy projects requiring debugging
• When readability matters alongside token efficiency
• Large codebases where you need to review output

TOON-Strict Format

Full TOON v1.3 specification compliance for maximum token compression (30-60% reduction vs JSON):

promptext -f toon-strict      # TOON v1.3 strict mode
promptext -f toon-v1.3        # Alias for toon-strict

Structure:

TOON-strict follows the official TOON v1.3 specification with escaped strings:

metadata:
  dependencies[6]: github.com/spf13/pflag,github.com/jedib0t/go-pretty/v6,github.com/pkoukk/tiktoken-go,github.com/atotto/clipboard,gopkg.in/yaml.v3,github.com/stretchr/testify
  language: Go

files[2]{path,ext,lines}:
  cmd/main.go,go,89
  internal/config.go,go,156

code[2]{path,content}:
  "cmd/main.go","package main\n\nimport (\n  \"fmt\"\n  \"log\"\n  \"os\"\n)\n\nfunc main() {\n  // Application entry point\n  ...\n}"
  "internal/config.go","package config\n\nimport \"os\"\n\n..."

Benefits:

• Maximum compression - 30-60% token reduction
• TOON v1.3 compliant - Follows official specification
• Token-optimized - Best for very limited contexts

When to use:

• Token-limited models with strict budgets
• Metadata-heavy projects with less code
• When maximum compression is required
• API integrations with token costs

Markdown

Human-readable format with rich formatting:

promptext -f markdown
promptext -o context.md  # Auto-detected from extension

Structure:

• Project metadata and analysis
• Directory structure with file tree
• Source code with syntax highlighting
• Token counts and statistics

Benefits:

• Direct copy-paste to AI chats
• Readable in any text editor
• Preserves code formatting
• Includes contextual information

When to use:

• Documentation generation
• Human review of extracted context
• Integration with Markdown-based tools
• When token efficiency is not a concern

XML Format

Structured format for automated processing:

promptext -f xml
promptext -o project.xml  # Auto-detected from extension

Structure:

<project>
  <metadata language="go" tokens="2590"/>
  <files>
    <file path="main.go" tokens="150">...</file>
    <file path="pkg/utils.go" tokens="85">...</file>
  </files>
  <dependencies>
    <dependency name="github.com/spf13/pflag" version="v1.0.5"/>
  </dependencies>
</project>

Benefits:

• Machine parseable
• Preserves hierarchical structure
• Suitable for build tools
• Schema validation ready

When to use:

• Integration with CI/CD pipelines
• Automated code analysis tools
• Systems requiring strict schema validation
• Legacy systems expecting XML input

Format Auto-Detection

Promptext automatically detects the output format from file extensions:

promptext -o context.ptx    # → PTX format
promptext -o context.toon   # → PTX format (backward compatibility)
promptext -o context.md     # → Markdown format
promptext -o project.xml    # → XML format

Conflict handling:

# If both flag and extension are specified, flag takes precedence
promptext -f xml -o output.md
# ⚠️  Warning: format flag 'xml' conflicts with output extension '.md'
#     Using 'xml' (flag takes precedence)

Format Selection Guide

Use Case	Recommended Format	Reason
AI assistant queries	PTX	25-30% reduction + readable code
Code debugging sessions	PTX	Preserves formatting and indentation
Token-limited models	TOON-strict	30-60% maximum compression
Smaller context windows	TOON-strict	Extreme token efficiency
Large context windows	PTX or Markdown	Either works, PTX saves tokens
Human code review	Markdown	Better readability
CI/CD integration	XML	Machine-parseable structure
Documentation	Markdown	Rich formatting
Cost optimization	TOON-strict	Maximum token reduction

Configuration

Command line:

promptext -f toon -o report.toon
promptext -f markdown -o context.md
promptext -f xml -o data.xml

Config file (.promptext.yml):

format: toon  # Options: toon, markdown, xml

Global config (~/.config/promptext/config.yml):

format: toon  # Set default for all projects