How to convert html "nbsp" to normal space?

[VladimirAlexiev]

I have HTML with   and I want to convert them to normal spaces in markdown.

• I tried -smart
• I tried a LUA filter

function remove_gunk (x)
  if x.t == "Str" then
    x.text = re.gsub(x.text,[[" "]]," ") -- replace nbsp with normal space. Also tried \u{202F}, \u{A0}
  end
  return x
end

return {{Inline = remove_gunk, Block = remove_gunk}}

• I asked perplexity
• I searched here

Thanks for your help!

[jgm]

Inside the Str element, you'll just have a unicode nonbreaking space character. Put that in your regex instead of  .

function Str(el)
  el.text = string.gsub(el.text, " ", " ")
  return el
end

[VladimirAlexiev]

Thanks! I'm a Lua noob, so I didn't know about the string module and I used LPegRe.
It is more powerful thatn regexes but has an unusual syntax, eg:

  if x.t == "Image" then
    x.src = re.gsub(x.src,[["access_token=" [_%a%d-]+]],"") -- strip image access token
    x.src = re.gsub(x.src,[["?"? "width=" %d+ "&height=" %d+]],"") -- strip image width/height params
  end

I see that string.gsub has a similar syntax.