Output Formatting Mastery

Control AI output structure using format specifications and parsing techniques.

Category: Engineering | Type: Skills

Skills: Output Control, Structured Data, Parsing

Techniques: Structured Output, Self-Verification

Prompt

Controlling output format is essential for programmatic use. Techniques: 1. JSON Mode — specify the exact schema for [your output format]. Provide an empty template. 2. Markdown Tables — request tabular data with column headers defined upfront. 3. XML Tags — use custom XML tags to section outputs for easy parsing. 4. Delimiter Patterns — define unique delimiters for sections: "===SECTION_NAME===". 5. Template Filling — provide the template with blanks: "Name: ___\nScore: ___/10\nReason: ___". 6. Constrained Generation — "Your response must start with 'YES' or 'NO' followed by your explanation." Always validate output format programmatically and include retry logic.

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