📰 Dev.to · Iteration Layer

A technical deep dive into parsing PDFs, Office files, emails, images, and websites into clean markdown for extraction and RAG.

Sovereign AI is not only a model question. EU agencies need controlled document workflows from intake to generated output.

Design an operations agent that turns supplier emails into reviewable approval reports without letting uncertain fields reach payment workflows.

Build an agent workflow that converts research PDFs into structured evidence, reviewable claims, and decision-ready briefs.

Use MCP to discover the workflow, then move stable document and image processing paths into REST, SDKs, or automation.

Design agent workflows for client documents without letting MCP tools, review steps, logs, and generated outputs expand the data flow.

AI infrastructure started looking less like a web app and more like a distributed system, so we rebuilt Iteration Layer in Elixir.

Generate XLSX, CSV, and Markdown spreadsheets from a single API call. Structured JSON in, formatted files out.

Use MCP to resize, smart crop, convert, and compress images directly from Claude Code or Cursor. Chain 24 operations without leaving your editor.

Use MCP to compose layered images, social cards, and branded graphics directly from Claude Code or Cursor. Describe the layout, get the image.

Purpose-built field types for financial documents. IBAN validation, structured addresses, currency amounts with codes.

Define a template with layers, swap the dynamic content, generate images at scale. Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn — all from one API.

Create multi-sheet XLSX files with formatting, formulas, and merged cells directly from n8n workflows — no code, no Google Sheets export.

Generate book covers with custom typography, images, and print-ready dimensions. KDP-compatible output from one API call.

Use MCP to generate PDFs, DOCX, EPUB, and PPTX documents directly from Claude Code or Cursor. No templates, no code, no pipeline.

Use MCP to parse invoices, contracts, and receipts directly from Claude Desktop or Cursor. No code, no server, no pipeline.

When document extraction, image processing, and generation are MCP tools in your AI assistant, the workflow changes fundamentally.

Multi-vendor stacks vs unified platforms — integration time, credential sprawl, billing reconciliation, and concrete TCO calculations for a typical 5-project ag

From Puppeteer to layer-based APIs — how to generate images programmatically at scale. Methods, patterns, and code.

From regex to AI extraction — the complete guide to parsing documents programmatically. Methods, tools, and code examples.

Use MCP to chain Iteration Layer APIs inside Claude Code or Cursor — extract data from documents, process images, and generate new outputs in one conversation.

A developer's guide to image processing APIs — from full media platforms to focused transformation APIs. What each tool does, where it fits, and what it costs.

A developer's guide to programmatic image generation — from visual template editors to layer-based APIs. What each tool does, where it fits, and what it costs.

A developer's guide to document generation APIs — from HTML-to-PDF engines to structured content models. What each tool does, where it fits, and what it costs.