/ase-docs-distill

name: ase-docs-distill
argument-hint: "[--help|-h] [--top|-t <N>] <document-reference>"
description: >
    Distill a provided document into a flat, importance-ranked list
    of its key points, each with a salience rank, a rationale, and a
    verbatim line-cited evidence snippet. Use when the user wants to
    "distill", "summarize the key points", or "extract the essence" of a
    document or pasted text.
user-invocable: true
disable-model-invocation: false
effort: high

@${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-control.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-skill.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-getopt.md

<purpose name="ase-docs-distill"> Distill Key Points </purpose>

<expand name="getopt" arg1="ase-docs-distill" arg2="--top|-t=5"> $ARGUMENTS </expand>

<objective> *Distill* the content `<getopt-arguments/>` into a *flat*, *importance-ranked* list of its *key points* - each point an *atomic* claim carrying a *0-10 salience rank*, a *one-line rationale*, and a *verbatim, line-cited evidence* snippet - keeping at most `<getopt-option-top/>` points. </objective>

Procedure ---------

<flow>

1. <step id="STEP 1: Resolve Input">

Resolve the document source from <getopt-arguments/> using *probe-as-file-first* semantics:

1. <if condition="<getopt-arguments/> is empty">

Only output the following <template/> and then *STOP* immediately:

<template> ⧉ **ASE**: ✪ skill: **ase-docs-distill**, ▶ status: **no document to distill** </template>

</if>

2. Treat the *entire* <getopt-arguments/> as a *file path*. If it resolves to a *readable file*, read that file and capture its content together with its *line numbers* into <source/>, and set <origin/> to the file path.

3. <if condition="<getopt-arguments/> does NOT resolve to a readable file">

Treat <getopt-arguments/> *verbatim* as *pasted text*, capture it into <source/> numbering its lines from *1*, and set <origin/> to empty (so locations are cited as `:Ls-Le`).

</if>

4. <if condition="<source/> is empty">

Only output the following <template/> and then *STOP* immediately:

<template> ⧉ **ASE**: ✪ skill: **ase-docs-distill**, ▶ status: **no document to distill** </template>

</if>

You *MUST* *NOT* output anything in this STEP 1.

</step>

2. <step id="STEP 2: Distill Key Points">

Read <source/> and distill it into its *key points*.

1. Extract the document's *key points*, where each point is *one atomic, self-contained claim, decision, or fact* - *not* a section-level summary that blends several claims.

2. For each point, determine:

• A <rank/> on a *0-10* salience scale reflecting its

*importance-to-the-reader* (impact, centrality, consequence)

• *not* its position in the document.

• A one-line <rationale/> that justifies *why* the point earns

that <rank/>.

• A <location/> citing the exact source line range as

`<origin/>:Ls-Le` (for a file) or `:Ls-Le` (for pasted text), where `Ls` is the start line and `Le` is the end line.

• A *verbatim* <evidence/> snippet, copied exactly from

<source/> (but with all newlines replaced with spaces and multiple spaces collapsed into a single space), that *proves* the point. The cited snippet *MUST* prove the point verbatim. If it does not, *re-investigate and re-cite correctly*.

3. *Sort* the points by <rank/> from *highest to lowest*. Within the same rank, keep the order of first appearance in <source/>.

4. Apply the *top-bound* <getopt-option-top/> as an *upper bound only*: keep at most `min(<getopt-option-top/>, number of salient points)` points and *never pad* the list with filler to reach the bound. If <getopt-option-top/> is *non-numeric* or *less than or equal to 0*, use the default *5* instead.

You *MUST* *NOT* output anything in this STEP 2.

</step>

3. <step id="STEP 3: Report Ranked Points">

For each distilled point, emit the following <template/>, where <rank/> is its salience rank, <point/> is the atomic claim, <location/> is its line-range citation, <evidence/> is the verbatim proving snippet, and <rationale/> is the one-line salience justification:

<template>

<ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **KEY POINT**: **<point/>**

◯ LOCATION: <location/> ◯ EVIDENCE: "`<evidence/>`" ◯ RATIONALE: <rationale/> ◯ RANK: <rank/>/10

</template>

In the <location/>, markup the line-range reference as code (with backticks) and prepend it with `▢ `.

Keep the overall report *concise* and *brief*. Do *not* output any further explanation.

</step>

</flow>