What would YOU like to see in a txt to html converter?

[Florian Wollenschein]

As you might have mentioned I'm just working on a txt to html converter
called "thc". This project is intended for me to learn Python and now
pyQT4 to which I changed a few days ago (started with Tkinter).

I have implemented the following features so far:

- Giving a title for the html
- Choose whether it's Transitional or Strict Doctype
- Select a background color
- Show the converted file with the standard browser
- Working on a font size slider

I don't really know if this is of any use for anybody but it's just a
fun project by a beginner

Now I'd like to know what kind of features you'd like to see in version
0.3 of thc!?

Please post them...

Have fun!
Listick
http://www.lictick.org

 

[Dotan Cohen]

As you might have mentioned I'm just working on a txt to html converter

called "thc". This project is intended for me to learn Python and now pyQT4
to which I changed a few days ago (started with Tkinter).

I have implemented the following features so far:

- Giving a title for the html
- Choose whether it's Transitional or Strict Doctype

Don't give this choice. What benefit does this give the user?

- Select a background color
- Show the converted file with the standard browser

That should probably be valid [X]HTML and be done with it.

- Working on a font size slider

This should be a browser feature, not a page feature. Use the default
sizes of the HTML elements, and let the UA override those defaults as
the user sees fit ot configure it.

If you think that there should be a font size slider, then file a
feature request at the bug tracker of your favourite browser.

I don't really know if this is of any use for anybody but it's just a fun
project by a beginner

Now I'd like to know what kind of features you'd like to see in version 0.3
of thc!?

You should probably convert the text to UTF-8 and make sure to declare
that with a meta tag.

You might want to look at markdown for a nice way to have hyperlink support.

Lists conversion, like these:
* item one
* item two
* item three

1. item one
2. item two
3. item three

 

[norseman]

As you might have mentioned I'm just working on a txt to html converter
called "thc". This project is intended for me to learn Python and now pyQT4
to which I changed a few days ago (started with Tkinter).

I have implemented the following features so far:

- Giving a title for the html
- Choose whether it's Transitional or Strict Doctype

Don't give this choice. What benefit does this give the user?

- Select a background color
- Show the converted file with the standard browser

That should probably be valid [X]HTML and be done with it.

- Working on a font size slider

This should be a browser feature, not a page feature. Use the default
sizes of the HTML elements, and let the UA override those defaults as
the user sees fit ot configure it.

If you think that there should be a font size slider, then file a
feature request at the bug tracker of your favourite browser.

I don't really know if this is of any use for anybody but it's just a fun
project by a beginner

Now I'd like to know what kind of features you'd like to see in version 0.3
of thc!?

You should probably convert the text to UTF-8 and make sure to declare
that with a meta tag.

You might want to look at markdown for a nice way to have hyperlink support.

Lists conversion, like these:
* item one
* item two
* item three

1. item one
2. item two
3. item three

================================
Actually I would like to see a good HTML to txt or odt converter.
Perhaps someone you know has the time and inclination to make one.
In Unix, grep is a fantastic search tool. Since HTML's today seem to be
one page one file, trying to search a "help collection" for a phrase is
useless in the practical sense.

I mean no offense to your effort. There are many who wish a good version
of such a converter. It's just that I personally wish HTMLs used for
Help and Documentation were banned from the universe. To me, a well
written, easily understood, no frills, fully grep'able text file that
covers the subject well is a truly fantastic thing to be well cherished.


Steve

 

[Will Wang]

Florian> As you might have mentioned I'm just working on a txt to html converter called
Florian> "thc". This project is intended for me to learn Python and now pyQT4 to which I
Florian> changed a few days ago (started with Tkinter).

Florian> I have implemented the following features so far:

Florian> - Giving a title for the html
Florian> - Choose whether it's Transitional or Strict Doctype
Florian> - Select a background color
Florian> - Show the converted file with the standard browser
Florian> - Working on a font size slider

Florian> I don't really know if this is of any use for anybody but it's just a fun
Florian> project by a beginner

Florian> Now I'd like to know what kind of features you'd like to see in version 0.3 of
Florian> thc!?

Florian> Please post them...

Florian> Have fun!
Florian> Listick
Florian> http://www.lictick.org

You could learn something from emacs-muse. That plugin can help emacs to
convert txt to html, tex, pdf, docbook and some other document format.

In emacs-muse, the title and subtitle is defined like this:

*emphasis*
**strong emphasis**
***very strong emphasis***
_underlined_
=verbatim and monospace=

emacs-muse : http://mwolson.org/projects/EmacsMuse.html

 

[Florian Wollenschein]

Florian> As you might have mentioned I'm just working on a txt to html converter called
Florian> "thc". This project is intended for me to learn Python and now pyQT4 to which I
Florian> changed a few days ago (started with Tkinter).

Florian> I have implemented the following features so far:

Florian> - Giving a title for the html
Florian> - Choose whether it's Transitional or Strict Doctype
Florian> - Select a background color
Florian> - Show the converted file with the standard browser
Florian> - Working on a font size slider

Florian> I don't really know if this is of any use for anybody but it's just a fun
Florian> project by a beginner

Florian> Now I'd like to know what kind of features you'd like to see in version 0.3 of
Florian> thc!?

Florian> Please post them...

Florian> Have fun!
Florian> Listick
Florian> http://www.lictick.org

You could learn something from emacs-muse. That plugin can help emacs to
convert txt to html, tex, pdf, docbook and some other document format.

In emacs-muse, the title and subtitle is defined like this:

*emphasis*
**strong emphasis**
***very strong emphasis***
_underlined_
=verbatim and monospace=

emacs-muse : http://mwolson.org/projects/EmacsMuse.html

Thank you for this information. I already thought of using dots or
asterisks or whatever to let the user format the text instead of using
html tags (this would be quite paradox ;-)

Please keep on posting ideas...

Thanks again,
Listick
http://www.listick.org

 

[News123]

As you might have mentioned I'm just working on a txt to html converter
called "thc". This project is intended for me to learn Python and now
pyQT4 to which I changed a few days ago (started with Tkinter).

I have implemented the following features so far:

- Giving a title for the html
- Choose whether it's Transitional or Strict Doctype
- Select a background color
- Show the converted file with the standard browser
- Working on a font size slider

I don't really know if this is of any use for anybody but it's just a
fun project by a beginner

Now I'd like to know what kind of features you'd like to see in version
0.3 of thc!?

Please post them...

Have fun!
Listick
http://www.lictick.org

I would first think about your personal requirements / use cases.
What kind of texts do you want to convert?

I think there's already quite some text to html converters, which you
could take as inspiration.
Most of them were written for a specific purpose though and started from
text files with some 'formatting syntax'

Exanples:
man2html converts man pages to html
pod2html covnerts perl online documentation to html

There's also converters from certain wiki formats to html.

There's also source code formatters for certain programming languages
or log file to html converters which color certain message types


If it is just for plain text with no special formattings,
then you need probably only:
- escape all characters, which have to be escap for html. (but there is
probably already a function for it.
)
- seperate paragraphs (at double new lines or at single new lines. This
could be an option)

- additionally you could allow to specify a html prefix (before the
converted text) and a html post fix after the converted text.

- I would handle settings lik color / font size etc with style sheets
and not within the generated html. If you want you could autgenerate
style sheets from some function arguments. They could contain Font color
/ background color / font formatting . . . .

- you could add a configuration, that automatically tags certain words
with certain tags, to allow simle keyword hihglighting.


It all depends on your use case.

 

[Stefan Behnel]

Thank you for this information. I already thought of using dots or
asterisks or whatever to let the user format the text instead of using
html tags (this would be quite paradox ;-)

First thing I'd look at is actually docutils' RestructuredText (ReST).

Stefan

 

[Dotan Cohen]

I already thought of using dots or asterisks

or whatever to let the user format the text instead of using html tags (this
would be quite paradox ;-)

Then please do not invent another wheel. Write a markdown parser:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown