Presenterm Presentation

Prefer producing these deliverables:

1. A primary presentation file such as deck.md or <topic>.md
2. Optional supporting files only when needed:
   • a theme YAML file
   • local images/assets
   • included markdown partials
3. Clear run/export commands for the user
4. References to further documentation

Before you start

Capture the details the user already gave you, then fill the gaps only if they matter:

1. Presentation goal and audience
2. Expected length or timebox
3. Output path / filename
4. Title, subtitle, and author values for front matter
5. Whether the user wants:
   • only the slide source
   • a runnable deck
   • exported HTML/PDF
   • speaker notes
   • a custom theme
6. Whether assets already exist locally

If the user did not specify these, use sensible defaults and state them briefly.

Read the bundled reference when needed

Read references/presenterm-reference.md whenever:

• you need exact Presenterm syntax
• the user asks about themes, Mermaid, speaker notes, exports, layouts, alignment, or comment commands
• you are unsure whether a feature is supported

Workflow

1. Define the deliverable.

   • If the user wants a presentation, create a single Markdown deck first.
   • Add extra files only when the requested styling or behavior needs them.

2. Structure the deck with the house style first.

   • Always include front matter with title, sub_title, and author.
   • Use one Markdown file as the source of truth.
   • Separate slides with:

<!-- end_slide -->

3. Apply the default slide pattern.

   • Use <!-- alignment: center --> on every slide unless the user asked otherwise.
   • Use a slide title with ---.
   • Use <!-- jump_to_middle --> unless the user asked otherwise.
   • Keep slide bodies short and visually sparse.

4. Write slides for terminal presentation, not for PowerPoint.

   • Keep each slide focused on one idea.
   • Favor concise bullets, short code samples, and short comparison points.
   • Break dense content into more slides instead of overpacking one slide.
   • Avoid long paragraphs, oversized tables, or large code listings unless explicitly requested.

5. Use Presenterm-native features instead of ad-hoc HTML.

   • Use comment commands such as pause, incremental_lists, column_layout, column, reset_layout, and speaker_note.
   • Prefer Presenterm themes and layout commands over unsupported HTML structures.

6. Make the deck runnable.

   • If presenterm is installed, provide or run the exact command needed.
   • During authoring, prefer plain presenterm <file>.md so hot reload remains available.
   • For actual presentation mode, use presenterm --present <file>.md.

7. If export is requested, choose the right output.

   • HTML: presenterm --export-html <file>.md
   • PDF: presenterm --export-pdf <file>.md and note that weasyprint is required

8. End with references.

   • Point the user to the official docs, examples, and the most relevant feature sections.

Canonical deck pattern

Use this as the default template unless the user asks for a different layout:

---