Claude Bionify

---
name: claude-bionify
description: Configure and control the claude-bionify bionic reading plugin. Use when the user asks about bionic reading settings (fixation/strength, boundary, minimum word length, acronyms, URLs, headings), wants to turn the bionic display on, off, or toggle it, asks for the current status, or asks how to use the /claude-bionify commands.
when_to_use: User says things like "make bionify bolder", "turn off bionic reading", "set fixation to 0.7", "how do I change the minimum word length", "what bionify commands are there", or "reset bionify to defaults".
user-invocable: false
---

# claude-bionify control

Background knowledge for answering questions about the claude-bionify plugin, which
bolds the leading part of each word in Claude's responses (cosmetic bionic reading).
Use it to recommend the right command and the exact key a user needs.

## Prerequisite: confirm the plugin is installed

This skill is only useful when the **claude-bionify plugin** is installed. The skill and
the plugin are separate: skill marketplaces can surface this `SKILL.md` on its own, so a
user may have loaded the skill without the plugin that actually does the bolding. Without
the plugin there is no `MessageDisplay` hook and no `/claude-bionify:*` commands, so every
instruction below is inert.

Before advising on settings or commands, verify the plugin is present:

```bash
grep -q 'claude-bionify' ~/.claude/plugins/installed_plugins.json 2>/dev/null \
  && echo "plugin: installed" \
  || echo "plugin: MISSING"
```

If the check fails (or the file does not exist), the plugin is not installed. Tell the
user plainly that they have the skill but not the plugin, then give the two install steps
and offer to run them:

```
/plugin marketplace add abullard1/claude-bionify
/plugin install claude-bionify@claude-bionify
```

These are slash commands the user runs in Claude Code; you cannot invoke them yourself, so
present them for the user to run (or paste) and confirm once bolding appears on the next
response. Only continue with the settings and command guidance below once the plugin is
confirmed installed.

## When to use

Load this skill when the user wants to:

- Change a setting (boldness, boundary, word length, acronyms, URLs, headings).
- Turn the formatting on, off, or toggle it.
- Check the current state or reset overrides.
- Learn what `/claude-bionify` commands exist.

## Settings

Each setting has a default in `plugin.json` and a short key used by the live
`/claude-bionify:set` command. The set key is what you pass to the command, and it is
shorter than the `plugin.json` field name.

| Setting | `set` key | Default | Values | Meaning |
| :-- | :-- | :-- | :-- | :-- |
| Fixation strength | `fixation` (alias `strength`) | `0.5` | `0.1` to `0.9` | Fraction of each word bolded; higher is bolder. Applies to the `fraction` boundary only. |
| Bold boundary | `boundary` | `fraction` | `fraction`, `syllable`, `log` | `fraction` uses the fixation strength; `syllable` bolds up to the first syllable; `log` grows logarithmically so long words are bolded less. |
| Minimum word length | `minlen` | `4` | `1` or greater | Words shorter than this stay unbolded. |
| Skip acronyms | `acronyms` | `true` | `on`, `off` | Leave ALL-CAPS acronyms such as API or JSON unbolded. |
| Protect URLs, paths, files | `urls` | `true` | `on`, `off` | Do not bold inside URLs, emails, file paths, or filenames. |
| Skip headings | `headings` | `true` | `on`, `off` | Leave markdown headings (lines starting with `#`) unbolded. |

## Commands

All commands live under the `/claude-bionify` namespace.

| Command | Argument | Action |
| :-- | :-- | :-- |
| `/claude-bionify:status` | none | Show the current settings and whether bionify is on. |
| `/claude-bionify:on` | none | Enable bionic formatting. |
| `/claude-bionify:off` | none | Disable bionic formatting. |
| `/claude-bionify:toggle` | none | Flip bionify on or off. |
| `/claude-bionify:set` | `<key> <value>` | Override one setting live. Keys: `fixation` (or `strength`), `boundary`, `minlen`, `acronyms`, `urls`, `headings`. |
| `/claude-bionify:reset` | none | Clear live overrides and restore the `plugin.json` defaults. |

Examples:

- `/claude-bionify:set fixation 0.7`
- `/claude-bionify:set boundary syllable`
- `/claude-bionify:set minlen 5`
- `/claude-bionify:set acronyms off`

Important: `set` only accepts the short keys above, not the longer `plugin.json` field
names. `set minlen 5` works; `set min_word_length 5` does not. Likewise use `acronyms`,
`urls`, and `headings`, not `skip_acronyms`, `protect_urls`, or `skip_headings`.

## Notes

- `set` changes apply to the next response and persist until `/claude-bionify:reset`.
- Changing the `plugin.json` defaults instead takes effect on the next session.
- The formatting is cosmetic: it never alters the underlying text Claude reads or saves.