Fabric + Fable 5: Get Through Your Reading Pile

The Stack

Tested Against

Prerequisites

• Homebrew (brew install fabric-ai), then fabric --setup
• An Anthropic API key (Claude API) for claude-fable-5

Steps

1. 1

   Install Fabric and choose Fable as the default model

   brew install fabric-ai, then fabric --setup (choose Anthropic, paste your key). Since Fable is new you may re-run fabric --setup so it picks up claude-fable-5. Then: cat article.txt | fabric --pattern summarize --model claude-fable-5.

2. 2

   What CI checks: the pattern exists and the setup names Fable

   CI confirms the chosen pattern (summarize) exists as a pattern directory and the Fabric config names claude-fable-5 as the default model. That's the deterministic precondition, no key. The reading and summarizing are fenced.

   mkdir -p patterns/summarize
   cat > patterns/summarize/system.md <<'EOF'
   # IDENTITY and PURPOSE
   You summarize the input content into a clear, structured set of bullet points.
   EOF
   cat > fabric.env <<'EOF'
   DEFAULT_VENDOR=Anthropic
   DEFAULT_MODEL=claude-fable-5
   EOF
   cat > checkfabric.mjs <<'EOF'
   import { existsSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
   let ok = true;
   function check(label, cond){ console.log(label + ': ' + (cond ? 'yes' : 'NO')); if(!cond) ok=false; }
   check('summarize pattern exists', existsSync('patterns/summarize/system.md'));
   const env = existsSync('fabric.env') ? readFileSync('fabric.env', 'utf8') : '';
   check('default model is claude-fable-5', env.includes('DEFAULT_MODEL=claude-fable-5'));
   if(!ok){ console.log('fabric config check FAILED'); process.exit(1); }
   console.log('fabric config check OK: summarize pattern + claude-fable-5');
   EOF
   node checkfabric.mjs

3. 3

   Pipe in your reading (the model step, not checked by CI)

   Pipe any text into a pattern and Fable does the analysis. That runs the model, so CI never claims it. The badge covers the pattern and the model name, not the output.