md2html_nick3499

Convert MD to HTML using Markdown along with web browser display

Python, markdown.markdownFromFile, webbrowser

Virtual Environment

A Python virtual environment was originally used to develop this app. Basically, to make the markdown module available.

Markdown==3.3.3

Start the App

To run the app, enter the following in a Unix-like terminal emulator:

$ ./start.sh

Note: permissions may need to be adjusted.

Shebang Line

#!/usr/bin/env python

>>> hex(ord('#'))
'0x23'
>>> hex(ord('!'))
'0x21'

In a Unix-like OS, a shebang can be used with a Python executable text file (.py). The human-readable shebang or #!, is encoded to ASCII '0x23 0x21' which becomes the instance of a 'magic number'. The shebang is detected by the env function.

Module Documentation

>>> __doc__
'Convert MD to HTML.'

In the Python interactive shell, __doc__ accesses the module's documentation.

Module Imports

from webbrowser import open as wb_open
from markdown import markdownFromFile

Both the webbrowser.open() and markdown.markdownFromFile() are imported.

Function Definition

def convert():

The keyword def begins the function defintion which defines convert() and adds it to the namespace.

Function Documentation

'''Convert MD to HTML from MD file.'''

>>> convert.__doc__
'Convert MD to HTML from MD file.'

In the Python interactive shell, convert.__doc__ accesses the function's documentation.

markdown.markdownFromFile()

markdownFromFile(
    input='example_readme.md',
    output='example_readme.html',
    encoding='utf8',
    extensions=['fenced_code'])

The shortcut function markdownFromFile() initializes an instance of Markdown and calls convertFile() instead of convert. The four API keys input, output, encoding and extensions are exposed in code above. The markdown code in example_readme.md is written to a file.

The extensions key was included to make fenced code display as it should. For example, to make it display as pre-formatted text.

webbrowser.open()

wb_open('http://localhost:8000/example_readme.html')

Finally, webbrowser.open() displays the HTML code.