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Mixdown Syntax Reference

This document provides a comprehensive reference for Mixdown syntax, including all supported tags, attributes, and formatting conventions.

Table of Contents

Core Structure

Mixdown combines XML-like tags, YAML data, and Markdown formatting. Here's the basic structure:

<prompt>
  <meta>
    <!-- Optional metadata about the prompt -->
  </meta>
  <params>
    <!-- Parameters and configuration -->
  </params>
  <system>
    <!-- System instructions -->
  </system>
  <instructions>
    <!-- Main prompt/query -->
  </instructions>
  <output>
    <!-- Output format specification -->
  </output>
</prompt>

Tags Reference

Root Tags

<prompt>

  • Purpose: Root container for the entire prompt
  • Required: Highly recommended, but optional
  • Contains: Any other valid Mixdown tags

Example:

<prompt>
  <!-- Other tags go here -->
</prompt>

<meta>

  • Purpose: Contains metadata about the prompt
  • Required: Optional
  • Format: YAML
  • Common Fields:
    • title: Prompt title
    • description: Prompt description
    • author: Prompt author
    • created: Creation date
    • version: Version number
    • tags: List of tags

Example:

<meta>
  title: My Prompt
  description: A sample prompt
  author: John Doe
  created: 2024-03-24
  version: 1.0.0
  tags:
    - sample
    - tutorial
</meta>

Configuration Tags

<params>

  • Purpose: Defines variables and configuration
  • Required: Recommended
  • Format: YAML
  • Usage: Values defined here can be referenced using {{ variable_name }}

Example:

<params>
system: You are a helpful assistant
content:
  type: blog post
  style: instructional
  include:
    - code examples
    - explanations
output:
  format: markdown
  length: 1000 words
</params>

Instruction Tags

<system>

  • Purpose: Defines system-level instructions
  • Required: Recommended
  • Usage: Can be self-closing if defined in params

Examples:

<system>You are a helpful assistant</system>

<!-- OR using params -->
<system />

<assistant>

  • Purpose: Defines assistant-specific instructions
  • Required: Optional
  • Usage: Often used with <system> for more specific behavior

Example:

<assistant>
I am a coding assistant specializing in Python
</assistant>

<instructions>

  • Purpose: Contains the main prompt or query
  • Required: Yes
  • Usage: Can be section or self-closing

Examples:

<instructions>
Write a blog post about {{ topic }}
</instructions>

<!-- OR -->
<instructions are="below" />
Write a blog post about {{ topic }}

Output Tags

<output> or <response>

  • Purpose: Specifies desired output format
  • Required: Recommended
  • Usage: Can be section or self-closing

Examples:

<output>
# {{ title }}

{{ content }}
</output>

<!-- OR -->
<output format="markdown" length="1000 words" />

Example Tags

<examples>

  • Purpose: Provides examples for the LLM
  • Required: Optional
  • Contains: <example> tags or example content

Example:

<examples>
  <example output="correct">
    <input>What is 2 + 2?</input>
    <output>4</output>
  </example>
  <example output="incorrect">
    <input>What is 2 + 2?</input>
    <output>5</output>
  </example>
</examples>

Variable Interpolation

Basic Syntax

  • Uses double curly braces: {{ variable_name }}
  • Can reference nested values: {{ user.name }}
  • Can include attributes: {{ variable attribute="value" }}

Common Variables

  • {{ title }}
  • {{ content }}
  • {{ summary }}
  • {{ description }}
  • {{ author }}

Variable Attributes

<prompt>
<!-- rest of prompt -->
{{ content length="1000 words" }}
{{ summary as="bullet points" }}
{{ code as="markdown code block (python)" }}
</prompt>

Attributes Reference

Common Attributes

Count Attributes

  • count="number": Specifies quantity
{{ examples count="3" }}

Include/Exclude

  • include="items": Specifies items to include
  • exclude="items": Specifies items to exclude
{{ traits include="strength,intelligence" }}
{{ content exclude="sensitive-info" }}

Output Formatting

  • format="type": Specifies output format
  • length="value": Specifies content length
  • as="type": Specifies presentation format
<output format="markdown" length="500 words" />
{{ content as="bullet points" }}

Data Formats

YAML in <params>

See YAML v1.2 for more information.

<params>
key: value
nested:
  key: value
list:
  - item1
  - item2
</params>

Markdown in Content

  • Used for formatting text
  • Supported in instructions and output
  • Common in content sections

XML-style Tags

  • Used for structure
  • Defines sections and components
  • Can include attributes

Best Practices

  1. Structure

    • Use <prompt> as root when possible
    • Include <params> for reusable values
    • Define clear output format

  2. Variables

    • Use descriptive names
    • Document placeholder variables
    • Use nesting for organization

  3. Formatting

    • Use consistent indentation
    • Keep sections organized
    • Use comments for clarity

  4. Output

    • Specify clear format requirements
    • Use attributes for precision
    • Include examples when helpful

  5. Metadata

    • Include version information
    • Document changes
    • Add descriptive tags