Pandoc Converter
Convert documents between common formats using Pandoc.
Quick Start
# Basic conversion (format auto-detected from extensions)
python scripts/convert.py input.md output.docx
# Specify output format only
python scripts/convert.py document.md --to html
# Check if Pandoc is installed
python scripts/convert.py --check
# List supported formats
python scripts/convert.py --formats
Supported Formats
Document formats (read/write): markdown, html, docx, latex, epub, rtf, pptx, pdf
Data formats (read only): csv, tsv, xlsx
Markdown variants: gfm (GitHub), commonmark
For detailed compatibility, see references/format-compatibility.md.
Common Conversions
| From | To | Command |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown | Word | python scripts/convert.py doc.md doc.docx |
| Markdown | python scripts/convert.py doc.md doc.pdf | |
| Markdown | HTML | python scripts/convert.py doc.md doc.html |
| Word | Markdown | python scripts/convert.py doc.docx doc.md |
| CSV | HTML table | python scripts/convert.py data.csv data.html |
| LaTeX | python scripts/convert.py paper.tex paper.pdf |
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--from <fmt> | Override input format detection |
--to <fmt> | Specify output format (if no output file) |
--standalone | Include document headers/footers |
--toc | Add table of contents |
--pdf-engine <eng> | PDF engine: pdflatex, xelatex, lualatex |
Additional Pandoc options pass through directly.
Workflow
- Check installation: Run
python scripts/convert.py --check - If not installed: Follow the installation instructions provided
- Convert: Run the conversion with input and output files
- Present result: Provide the converted file to the user
Installation (if needed)
The script provides installation guidance, but here's a summary:
# macOS
brew install pandoc
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install pandoc
# For PDF output, also install LaTeX:
# macOS: brew install --cask mactex-no-gui
# Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install texlive-xetex
Limitations
- CSV/TSV/XLSX: Input only (converts to tables in other formats)
- PDF output: Requires LaTeX installation
- PPTX: Text extraction works; complex layouts may simplify
- Complex formatting: Some features may not transfer between formats