Custom text to html

[Zata]

Hi!

I am trying to write a bash script that will go through (many) text file(s) and do this:

== Something == converts to <h2> Something </h2>
= Something = converts to <h1> Something </h1>

* line 1
* line 2
* line 3

converts to

<ul>
<li> line 1 </li>
<li> line 2 </li>
<li> line 3 </li>
</ul>


and adds <br/> to every empty line

And then save it as a .html file.

I have no idea how to do this, any help would be really appreicated!

Thanks!

[WuNMOjTIQanXWBcH]

Answer:

I am trying to write a bash script that will go through (many) text file(s) and do this:

== Something == converts to <h2> Something </h2>
= Something = converts to <h1> Something </h1>

* line 1
* line 2
* line 3

converts to

<ul>
<li> line 1 </li>
<li> line 2 </li>
<li> line 3 </li>
</ul>


and adds <br/> to every empty line

And then save it as a .html file.

This is easily achievable by using «Perl» in the following manner:

for txt_file in $LIST_OF_TXTFILES; do
	cat "$txt_file" | convert.pl > "${txt_file/.txt/.html}";¹
done

where “convert.pl” contains the following:

#! /usr/bin/perl -CASD

## …… Uses ……
use warnings;
use strict;
use utf8;

## …… Functions ……
sub printbr { print "$_[0]<br />\n" }

## …… Globals ……
my @line_stack;

## …… Code ……
while (defined (my $line = <>)) {
	chomp $line;
	$line =~ s{== (.*?) ==}{<h2> $1 </h2>};
	$line =~ s{= ([^=]*?) =}{<h1> $1 </h1>};
	if ($line =~ /^\s*\* (.*)$/) {
		push @line_stack, $1; }
	else {
		if (@line_stack) {
			printf "<ul>\n%s</ul>\n", join '', map { "\t<li> $_ </li>\n" } @line_stack;
			@line_stack = (); }
		if ($line =~ m!</h1>$!  or  $line =~ m!</h2>$!) {
			print "$line\n"; }
		else {
			printbr $line; }}}
if (@line_stack) {
	printf "<ul>\n%s</ul>\n", join '', map { "\t<li> $_ </li>\n" } @line_stack; }

If this perl file is applied to the text

Hello world

This is a random text.

= Nice Heading =
	== Chapter 1 ==
		This is a highly random text.
		In fact one could have used “fortune”
		to create it.
		But thatʼs just useless.
		Hereʼs a list of what todo to make
		the world a better place instead:
		* Buy highly inflammable materials
		* Buy lighter
		* Burn down the world
		* Erect a new kingdom from its ashes
	== Chapter 2 ==
		Well, that wasnʼt so successful now,
		wasnʼt it ?
	== Chapter 3 ==
		$> fortune
		It is better for civilization to be
		going down the drain than to be
		coming up it.
	                -- Henry Allen
	== Chapter 4 = ups? intended? = ==
		Ok, enough for today…
		Well, one more list:
		* Sudo
		* Make
		* Me
		* A
		* Sandwich

it yields

Hello world<br />
<br />
This is a random text.<br />
<br />
<h1> Nice Heading </h1>
	<h2> Chapter 1 </h2>
		This is a highly random text.<br />
		In fact one could have used “fortune”<br />
		to create it.<br />
		But thatʼs just useless.<br />
		Hereʼs a list of what todo to make<br />
		the world a better place instead:<br />
<ul>
	<li> Buy highly inflammable materials </li>
	<li> Buy lighter </li>
	<li> Burn down the world </li>
	<li> Erect a new kingdom from its ashes </li>
</ul>
	<h2> Chapter 2 </h2>
		Well, that wasnʼt so successful now,<br />
		wasnʼt it ?<br />
	<h2> Chapter 3 </h2>
		$> fortune<br />
		It is better for civilization to be<br />
		going down the drain than to be<br />
		coming up it.<br />
	                -- Henry Allen<br />
	<h2> Chapter 4 <h1> ups? intended? </h1> </h2>
		Ok, enough for today…<br />
		Well, one more list:<br />
<ul>
	<li> Sudo </li>
	<li> Make </li>
	<li> Me </li>
	<li> A </li>
	<li> Sandwich </li>
</ul>

If there are any questions regarding the code, feel free to ask. Blindly applying code one doesnʼt understand is rarely considered a good idea.

Footnotes:

1. This piece of code assumes all your text files possess the file ending “.txt”. Thus the perl script is applied to each text file and the result is saved in “$txt_filename.html”.