denolfe/dotfiles/viewmd

View Markdown in a tmux Pane

Render a markdown file with the viewmd TUI in a split tmux pane, keeping focus on the current pane.

Steps

1. Resolve the file.

• If the user gave a path, use it.
• If they named/described content you generated but haven't saved, write it to a file first.
• If nothing was passed, use the conversation: take the most recent substantial markdown-style output you produced (a plan, summary, doc, table, code-heavy answer) and write it verbatim to /tmp/viewmd-<slug>.md. If the last output wasn't markdown or there's nothing suitable, ask what to view instead of guessing.
• Save to a real path when the user wants to keep it, otherwise /tmp/viewmd-<slug>.md.

1. Run the helper:

``bash <skill-directory>/viewmd-pane.sh "<file.md>" ``

1. Report the printed result (which pane it opened/reused) in one sentence. Do not steal focus or read the pane back.

Behavior

• Resolve this skill's directory as exposed by the host before running the

bundled viewmd-pane.sh helper.

• Runs viewmd <file> in a pane to the right; focus stays where you are.
• Target order (all within the caller's window):

1. An existing viewmd pane (marked @viewmd) that is idle or still running viewmd - reused. If that pane has since been used to run your own command, its claim is dropped and it is left alone.
2. Else an idle sibling pane - a bare shell with nothing running - taken over. Preferring one to the right.
3. Else a new pane is split off.

• Never touches: the caller's own pane, panes running an app (editor, TUI, another agent), or any shell with a command running - including a previously-marked pane you have reused. Only a bare, idle shell (or our own viewer) is replaced.
• Not in tmux: the script prints the plain viewmd "<file>" command to run manually instead of splitting.

Notes

• viewmd is interactive (quit with q); it must run in its own pane, never inline in this session.
• Only pass one file. For a different doc, invoke again.