abstract

Read L0 abstract summary

Read the L0 abstract (~100 token summary) of a directory or file. This is the most concise layer in OpenViking’s hierarchical context system.

Python SDK

from openviking import OpenViking

client = OpenViking()

# Get abstract of a directory
abstract = client.abstract("viking://resources/docs/")
print(f"Abstract: {abstract}")
# Output: "Documentation for the project API, covering authentication, endpoints..."

HTTP API

cURL

curl -X GET "http://localhost:1933/api/v1/content/abstract?uri=viking://resources/docs/" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your-key"

GET /api/v1/content/abstract?uri=viking://resources/docs/

Parameters

uri · string · required

Viking URI (typically a directory, but can also be a file)

Response

status · string

Operation status (ok on success)

result · string

The L0 abstract summary (~100 tokens)

time · number

Execution time in seconds

{
  "status": "ok",
  "result": "Documentation for the project API, covering authentication, endpoints, error handling, and best practices.",
  "time": 0.1
}

CLI

openviking abstract viking://resources/docs/

Context Layers

OpenViking provides three hierarchical levels of content:

• L0 (Abstract): ~100 token summary via abstract() (this method)
• L1 (Overview): Structured overview via overview()
• L2 (Full): Complete content via read()

The abstract layer is ideal for:

• Quick directory summaries
• Agent context where token efficiency is critical
• Initial exploration of large codebases

Implementation Details

The abstract is stored in a .abstract.md file within the directory. If not present, it’s generated automatically from the directory contents.