Markdown Convertor

Automating Markdown to HTML Using Python-Markdown

As someone who enjoys simplifying workflows, I recently automated a process for one of my Django projects to convert Markdown files into HTML. This is small but effective script saves time and ensures consistency when dealing with Markdown-based content. In this post, I will walk you through the steps from setting up the environment to running the script.

Why automate Markdown Conversion?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that is easy to write and widely used for documentation, blogs, and other text-based content. However, in web projects like Django, this content often needs to be converted into HTML for rendering in a browser. Automating this conversion eliminates repetitive tasks and ensures a smooth workflow.

Getting Started: Setting up the Environment

Before writing the script. I set up my project environment using pipenv. This tool is excellent for managing Python dependencies and keeping environments clean.

1. Start the virtual Environment:

   Run the following command to enter the virtual environment:

   pipenv shell
   

2. Install the required library:

   Install the markdown library, which provides the functionality to convert Markdown to HTML:

   pipenv install markdown
   

   This automatically updates the Pipfile.lock to include the library, ensuring dependencies are tracked

The Automation Script

Here is the Python script I created to perform the conversion:

import markdown

# Using open() to read the Markdown file
with open('example.md', 'r') as f:
    markdown_content = f.read()

# Convert the Markdown content to HTML and store in a variable
html_content = markdown.markdown(markdown_content)

# Write the HTML to the desired file path
with open('path/to/store/mdfile/example.html', 'w') as f:
    f.write(html_content)

How it Works:

1. Read the Markdown File:

   The open() function reads the example.md file and stores its content in markdown_content.

2. Convert Markdown to HTML:

   Using the markdown.markdown() function, the Markdown content is converted into an HTML string.

3. Write the HTML to a File:

   The script writes the resulting HTML into a file at the specified path (path/to/store/mdfile/example.html).

This process is straightforward, yet it can be a game-changer in projects that involve dynamic content updates or static page generation.

Executing and Results

Running the script is as simple as executing:

python script_name.py # if using windows

or

python3 script_name.py # if using linux

Once the script runs, the converted HTML file is created in the directory path in the specified directory. You can open it in a browser to verify the results.