diff --git a/src/aggregate.py b/src/aggregate.py
index d96942e..035136e 100644
--- a/src/aggregate.py
+++ b/src/aggregate.py
@@ -145,16 +145,21 @@ def build_file_items(base_dir: Path, files: list[str | dict[str, Any]]) -> list[
           tier           : int | None (optional tier for context management)
           auto_aggregate : bool
           force_full     : bool
+          view_mode      : str   (summary, full, skeleton, outline, none)
   [C: src/app_controller.py:AppController._bg_task, src/orchestrator_pm.py:module, tests/test_aggregate_flags.py:test_auto_aggregate_skip, tests/test_aggregate_flags.py:test_force_full, tests/test_tiered_context.py:test_build_file_items_with_tiers]
  """
  with get_monitor().scope("build_file_items"):
   items: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
+  parser = None
   for entry_raw in files:
    if isinstance(entry_raw, dict):
     entry = cast(str, entry_raw.get("path", ""))
     tier = entry_raw.get("tier")
     auto_aggregate = entry_raw.get("auto_aggregate", True)
     force_full = entry_raw.get("force_full", False)
+    view_mode = entry_raw.get("view_mode", "summary")
+    if force_full:
+     view_mode = "full"
     ast_signatures = entry_raw.get("ast_signatures", False)
     ast_definitions = entry_raw.get("ast_definitions", False)
     ast_mask = entry_raw.get("ast_mask", {})
@@ -164,6 +169,9 @@ def build_file_items(base_dir: Path, files: list[str | dict[str, Any]]) -> list[
     tier = getattr(entry_raw, "tier", None)
     auto_aggregate = getattr(entry_raw, "auto_aggregate", True)
     force_full = getattr(entry_raw, "force_full", False)
+    view_mode = getattr(entry_raw, "view_mode", "summary")
+    if force_full:
+     view_mode = "full"
     ast_signatures = getattr(entry_raw, "ast_signatures", False)
     ast_definitions = getattr(entry_raw, "ast_definitions", False)
     ast_mask = getattr(entry_raw, "ast_mask", {})
@@ -173,6 +181,7 @@ def build_file_items(base_dir: Path, files: list[str | dict[str, Any]]) -> list[
     tier = None
     auto_aggregate = True
     force_full = False
+    view_mode = "summary"
     ast_signatures = False
     ast_definitions = False
     ast_mask = {}
@@ -181,13 +190,30 @@ def build_file_items(base_dir: Path, files: list[str | dict[str, Any]]) -> list[
     continue
    paths = resolve_paths(base_dir, entry)
    if not paths:
-    items.append({"path": None, "entry": entry, "content": f"ERROR: no files matched: {entry}", "error": True, "mtime": 0.0, "tier": tier, "auto_aggregate": auto_aggregate, "force_full": force_full, "ast_signatures": ast_signatures, "ast_definitions": ast_definitions, "ast_mask": ast_mask, "custom_slices": custom_slices})
+    items.append({"path": None, "entry": entry, "content": f"ERROR: no files matched: {entry}", "error": True, "mtime": 0.0, "tier": tier, "auto_aggregate": auto_aggregate, "force_full": force_full, "view_mode": view_mode, "ast_signatures": ast_signatures, "ast_definitions": ast_definitions, "ast_mask": ast_mask, "custom_slices": custom_slices})
     continue
    for path in paths:
     try:
      content = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
      mtime = path.stat().st_mtime
      error = False
+     if not error and view_mode != "full":
+      if view_mode == "summary":
+       content = summarize.summarise_file(path, content)
+      elif view_mode == "skeleton":
+       if path.suffix == ".py":
+        if not parser: parser = ASTParser("python")
+        content = parser.get_skeleton(content, path=str(path))
+       else:
+        content = summarize.summarise_file(path, content)
+      elif view_mode == "outline":
+       if path.suffix == ".py":
+        if not parser: parser = ASTParser("python")
+        content = parser.get_code_outline(content, path=str(path))
+       else:
+        content = summarize.summarise_file(path, content)
+      elif view_mode == "none":
+       content = "(context excluded)"
     except FileNotFoundError:
      content = f"ERROR: file not found: {path}"
      mtime = 0.0
@@ -196,7 +222,7 @@ def build_file_items(base_dir: Path, files: list[str | dict[str, Any]]) -> list[
      content = f"ERROR: {e}"
      mtime = 0.0
      error = True
-    items.append({"path": path, "entry": entry, "content": content, "error": error, "mtime": mtime, "tier": tier, "auto_aggregate": auto_aggregate, "force_full": force_full, "ast_signatures": ast_signatures, "ast_definitions": ast_definitions, "ast_mask": ast_mask, "custom_slices": custom_slices})
+    items.append({"path": path, "entry": entry, "content": content, "error": error, "mtime": mtime, "tier": tier, "auto_aggregate": auto_aggregate, "force_full": force_full, "view_mode": view_mode, "ast_signatures": ast_signatures, "ast_definitions": ast_definitions, "ast_mask": ast_mask, "custom_slices": custom_slices})
   return items
 
 
@@ -213,13 +239,20 @@ def _build_files_section_from_items(file_items: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> str:
   path = item.get("path")
   entry = item.get("entry", "unknown")
   content = item.get("content", "")
+  view_mode = item.get("view_mode", "full")
   if path is None:
-   sections.append(f"### `{entry}`\n\n```text\n{content}\n```")
+   if view_mode == "summary":
+    sections.append(f"### `{entry}`\n\n{content}")
+   else:
+    sections.append(f"### `{entry}`\n\n```text\n{content}\n```")
   else:
    path_obj = Path(path) if isinstance(path, str) else path
    suffix = path_obj.suffix.lstrip(".") if path_obj.suffix else "text"
    original = entry if "*" not in entry else str(path)
-   sections.append(f"### `{original}`\n\n```{suffix}\n{content}\n```")
+   if view_mode == "summary":
+    sections.append(f"### `{original}`\n\n{content}")
+   else:
+    sections.append(f"### `{original}`\n\n```{suffix}\n{content}\n```")
  return "\n\n---\n\n".join(sections)
 
 def build_beads_section(base_dir: Path) -> str:
diff --git a/tests/test_context_composition_decoupled.py b/tests/test_context_composition_decoupled.py
index d69af0a..9db7709 100644
--- a/tests/test_context_composition_decoupled.py
+++ b/tests/test_context_composition_decoupled.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import pytest
+from pathlib import Path
 from src.app_controller import AppController
 from src.models import FileItem
 
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ def test_do_generate_uses_context_files(monkeypatch):
     
     def mock_aggregate_run(flat, **kwargs):
         assert flat["files"]["paths"] == controller.context_files
-        return ("md", "path", [], "stable_md", "disc_text")
+        return ("md", Path("path"), [])
         
     monkeypatch.setattr(pm, "flat_config", mock_flat_config)
     monkeypatch.setattr(pm, "save_project", lambda *args: None)
diff --git a/tests/test_context_composition_phase6.py b/tests/test_context_composition_phase6.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..839a2bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_context_composition_phase6.py
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+import pytest
+from pathlib import Path
+from src import aggregate
+
+def test_view_mode_summary(tmp_path):
+ base_dir = tmp_path / "project"
+ base_dir.mkdir()
+ test_file = base_dir / "test.py"
+ test_file.write_text("def hello():\n print('world')\n", encoding="utf-8")
+ 
+ files = [{"path": "test.py", "view_mode": "summary"}]
+ items = aggregate.build_file_items(base_dir, files)
+ 
+ assert len(items) == 1
+ assert items[0]["view_mode"] == "summary"
+ # Content should be a summary, which typically starts with **Python** or similar
+ assert "**Python**" in items[0]["content"]
+ assert "functions: hello" in items[0]["content"]
+
+def test_view_mode_full(tmp_path):
+ base_dir = tmp_path / "project"
+ base_dir.mkdir()
+ test_file = base_dir / "test.py"
+ content = "def hello():\n print('world')\n"
+ test_file.write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")
+ 
+ files = [{"path": "test.py", "view_mode": "full"}]
+ items = aggregate.build_file_items(base_dir, files)
+ 
+ assert len(items) == 1
+ assert items[0]["view_mode"] == "full"
+ assert items[0]["content"] == content
+
+def test_view_mode_skeleton(tmp_path):
+ base_dir = tmp_path / "project"
+ base_dir.mkdir()
+ test_file = base_dir / "test.py"
+ content = "def hello():\n \"\"\"Docstring.\"\"\"\n print('world')\n"
+ test_file.write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")
+ 
+ files = [{"path": "test.py", "view_mode": "skeleton"}]
+ items = aggregate.build_file_items(base_dir, files)
+ 
+ assert len(items) == 1
+ assert items[0]["view_mode"] == "skeleton"
+ # Skeleton should have '...' instead of 'print'
+ assert "def hello():" in items[0]["content"]
+ assert "Docstring" in items[0]["content"]
+ assert "..." in items[0]["content"]
+ assert "print('world')" not in items[0]["content"]
+
+def test_view_mode_outline(tmp_path):
+ base_dir = tmp_path / "project"
+ base_dir.mkdir()
+ test_file = base_dir / "test.py"
+ content = "def hello():\n \"\"\"Docstring.\"\"\"\n print('world')\n"
+ test_file.write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")
+ 
+ files = [{"path": "test.py", "view_mode": "outline"}]
+ items = aggregate.build_file_items(base_dir, files)
+ 
+ assert len(items) == 1
+ assert items[0]["view_mode"] == "outline"
+ # Outline should have [Func] hello (Lines 1-3)
+ assert "[Func] hello (Lines 1-3)" in items[0]["content"]
+
+def test_view_mode_none(tmp_path):
+ base_dir = tmp_path / "project"
+ base_dir.mkdir()
+ test_file = base_dir / "test.py"
+ test_file.write_text("def hello():\n print('world')\n", encoding="utf-8")
+ 
+ files = [{"path": "test.py", "view_mode": "none"}]
+ items = aggregate.build_file_items(base_dir, files)
+ 
+ assert len(items) == 1
+ assert items[0]["view_mode"] == "none"
+ assert items[0]["content"] == "(context excluded)"
+
+def test_view_mode_default_summary(tmp_path):
+ base_dir = tmp_path / "project"
+ base_dir.mkdir()
+ test_file = base_dir / "test.py"
+ test_file.write_text("def hello():\n print('world')\n", encoding="utf-8")
+ 
+ # Test with simple string path
+ files = ["test.py"]
+ items = aggregate.build_file_items(base_dir, files)
+ 
+ assert len(items) == 1
+ assert items[0]["view_mode"] == "summary"
+ assert "**Python**" in items[0]["content"]
+
+def test_files_section_rendering(tmp_path):
+ base_dir = tmp_path / "project"
+ base_dir.mkdir()
+ 
+ # Full item
+ full_item = {
+  "path": base_dir / "full.txt",
+  "entry": "full.txt",
+  "content": "Full content",
+  "view_mode": "full",
+  "auto_aggregate": True
+ }
+ 
+ # Summary item
+ summary_item = {
+  "path": base_dir / "summary.txt",
+  "entry": "summary.txt",
+  "content": "**Summary** content",
+  "view_mode": "summary",
+  "auto_aggregate": True
+ }
+ 
+ sections = aggregate._build_files_section_from_items([full_item, summary_item])
+ 
+ # Full should be in backticks
+ assert "### `full.txt`" in sections
+ assert "```txt\nFull content\n```" in sections
+
+ # Summary should NOT be in backticks
+ assert "### `summary.txt`" in sections
+ assert "```txt\n**Summary** content\n```" not in sections
+ assert "**Summary** content" in sections
+