Markdown To Document


A command-line tool to easily generate HTML documents from Markdown files.

> The original purpose of this tool was to provide an alternative to using
> Microsoft Word to write and send technical documents.
>
> Use cases: replace docx and pdf files with Markdown (storage in Git,
> editing, ...) and HTML (export, sending by email, ...) files, export a
> multi-files documentation into a single HTML file, etc.

Install

Install the CLI globally using NPM (Node.js >= 22):

``shell
npm install markdown-to-document -g
`

> Linux users: EACCES permissions errors when installing packages globally?

> → Follow this guide
> to resolve them.

Usage

Compile Markdown files (path) into HTML documents.

`shell
mdtodoc [options]
`

Read usage examples to learn how to use the CLI.

$3

| Option | Description |
| ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| -V, --version | Output the version number |
| -d, --dest [value] | Destination path (default: next to .md files) |
| -j, --join | Concatenate all files before compilation |
| -l, --layout [value] | HTML layout |
| -t, --theme [value] | CSS theme |
| -s, --highlight-style [value] | Syntax highlighting style |
| -n, --numbered-headings | Enable numbered headings |
| -c, --code-copy | Enable copy code button |
| -m, --mermaid | Enable mermaid |
| -e, --embed-mode [value] | Embed external resources (default: default) |
| -x, --extension [value...] | Extension scripts |
| -w, --watch | Watch input files and compile on change |
| -h, --help | Output usage information |

#### Destination (--dest)

The destination path can be used to change where output HTML files are written.

#### Join (--join)

The --join option concatenates all Markdown source files in one (MERGED.md)
before running the compilation (→ MERGED.html):

- _Sorting_: README.md and index.md files first, other .md files and
sub-directories next
- _Front matter_: remove YAML (---), TOML (+++) or JSON (;;;) front matter
from source files
- _Titles_: refactor titles level (# syntax only) according to path depth
- _Paths_: refactor relative paths (<...>)
- _Table of contents_: remove table of contents tokens from child pages

This feature, _experimental and not very configurable for the moment_, can be
very useful to export a multi-files documentation into a single HTML file.

#### Layout (--layout)

A layout is an HTML template used as a base for the output HTML file, e.g.:

`html





{{ styles }}


{{ body }}

{{ scripts }}

`

The --layout option can receive the name of a preset
(e.g. page for page.html) or the path to a custom layout file
(path/to/my-layout.html or a HTTP URL).

#### Theme (--theme)

A theme is a CSS stylesheet included in the HTML layout.

The --theme option can receive the name of a preset (e.g. github)
or the path to a custom theme file (path/to/my-theme.css or an HTTP URL).

#### Highlight style (--highlight-style)

Highlight style enables syntax highlighting of code blocks by including the
required script and style in the HTML layout.

The --highlight-style option can receive the name of a
Hightlight.js style
(file name without extension, e.g. monokai) or the path to a custom style
file (a local path or an HTTP URL).

#### Additional features

_Markdown To Document_ includes additional features:

- Numbered headings (--numbered-headings): enable automatic headings
numbering (h2 to h6, e.g. 1.1.1.)
- Code copy (--code-copy): add a button Copy in each
code block to easily copy the block content
- Mermaid (--mermaid): add support for mermaid
diagrams using fenced code blocks ( ``mermaid ), e.g.:

```markdown
`mermaid
flowchart LR
Markdown --mdtodoc--> HTML
`
``

`mermaid
flowchart LR
Markdown --mdtodoc--> HTML
`

#### Embed mode (--embed-mode)

The --embed-mode option allows to inline externally referenced resources
(JS, CSS and images) to output a single HTML file without external dependencies
(it can lead to a large output file).

3 modes are available:

- light: inline light scripts (< 16 KB), stylesheets and light images
(< 16 KB)
- default: inline light scripts (< 16 KB), stylesheets and all images
(default)
- full: inline everything

#### Extensions (--extension)

The --extension option allows to provide paths to extension scripts to
further customize document generation.

An extension is a JavaScript file using ECMAScript modules format with up to
five exported functions corresponding to available hooks, taking an object in
parameter, doing some modifications on it, and returning it.

`js
export function hookName({ arg1, arg2, ... }) {
// Modify then return arguments
return { arg1, arg2, ... };
}
`

These hooks (and their arguments) are available:

- postInit: called after compiler initialization and before source file
loading
- mdIt (MarkdownIt): Markdown.it instance, configure it further, or even
load additional plugins with the .use(...) method
- preCompile: called after source file loading and before Markdown
compilation
- md (string): Markdown document
- preRender: called after Markdown compilation and before template/layout
rendering
- title (string): HTML document title
- styles (string[]): CSS stylesheet URLs
- scripts (string[]): JS scripts URLs
- body (string): HTML document body
- preInline: called after rendering and before inlining
- html (string): full HTML document
- preWrite: called after inlining and before writing to the output file
- html (string): full HTML document
- path (string): output file path

$3

Compile a single Markdown file (doc.md) into HTML (doc.html)

`shell
mdtodoc doc.md
`

Watch and compile multiple Markdown files using glob syntax

`shell
mdtodoc *.md --watch
`

Compile multiple Markdown files into a single HTML file (MERGED.html)

`shell
mdtodoc *.md --join
`

Improve the HTML output with a layout, a theme and a highlight style

`shell
mdtodoc doc.md --layout "page" --theme "github" --highlight-style "atom-one-light"
`

The compiled Markdown is now included into the predefined layout page
and some CSS styling is added directly into the HTML file.

Enable additional features

`shell
mdtodoc doc.md -l "page" -t "github" -s "atom-one-light" --numbered-headings --code-copy --mermaid
`

HTML headings are now automatically numbered, a Copy button
is added in each

 code block to copy the content, and diagrams
are generated from mermaid code blocks ( ``mermaid ).
Embed all externally referenced resources
``shell
mdtodoc doc.md -l "page" -t "github" -s "atom-one-light" -n -c --embed-mode "full"
`
All external resources (CSS, JS and images) referenced in the Markdown file
are now embedded into the output HTML file.
Use a custom layout (local file) and a custom highlight style (URL)
`shell
mdtodoc doc.md -l "./assets/layouts/page.html" -t "github" -s "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/highlightjs/highlight.js/main/src/styles/monokai.css" -n -c
`
Read options documentation for more information on how to use
--layout, --theme and --highlight-style options.
Use an extension to do more customization
`shell
mdtodoc doc.md -l "page" --extension "./test/data/extension/uppercase_title.js"
`
Title in the output HTML document () is now uppercase.
Export a Markdown documentation in a GitLab CI pipeline
In a GitLab repository with Markdown files inside the docs/ folder,
the following job can be defined (in .gitlab-ci.yml) to export all the
documentation as a single HTML file:
`yaml
export-doc:
  stage: doc
  image: node:lts
  before_script:
    - npm i markdown-to-document -g
  script:
    - mdtodoc "docs/*/.md" --join -l "page" -t "github" -s "atom-one-light" -n -c
    - mv docs/MERGED.html ./docs.html
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - docs.html
`
Resources
$3
#### Code editors
Although Markdown documents are simple text files and can be written using
basic text editors, most code editors provide features and extensions to make
writing these documents easier, e.g.:
- Markdown All in One
  (Visual Studio Code)
- MarkdownEditing (Sublime Text)
#### Formatting
Markdown files can be easily formatted with code editors
using built-in features or additional extensions but code formatters like
Prettier also do a good job:
`shell
npm install --global prettier
prettier --check "*.md"
prettier --write "*.md"
`
$3
_Markdown To Document_ uses the Markdown.it
compiler and the following plugins to generate HTML code from Markdown:
- markdown-it-abbr - Abbreviation () tag support
- markdown-it-anchor - Header anchors (permalinks) support
- markdown-it-container - Custom block containers (:::) support
- markdown-it-deflist - Definition list (
) tag support
- markdown-it-emoji - Emoji syntax (:memo: → :memo:) support
- markdown-it-footnote - Footnotes ([^1]) support
- markdown-it-ins - Inserted () tag support
- markdown-it-mark - Marked () tag support
- markdown-it-sub - Subscript () tag support
- markdown-it-sup - Superscript () tag support
- markdown-it-task-lists - Task lists (- [ ] / - [x]) support
- markdown-it-toc-done-right - Table of contents ([[toc]]) support
Additional features also use the following packages:
- highlight.js - JavaScript syntax highlighter with
  language auto-detection and zero dependencies
- web-resource-inliner - Inlines
  img, script and link tags into the same file
- clipboard.js - A modern approach to copy text to
  clipboard
- chokidar - Minimal and efficient
  cross-platform file watching library
- mermaid - Generate diagrams from markdown-like text
Open package.json to see the full list of dependencies.
Development
- Link the mdtodoc command for development: npm link
  - Unlink: npm unlink
- Format code with Prettier: npm run format[:check]
- Lint code with ESLint: npm run lint
- Build assets: npm run build:assets
- Run tests: npm run test[:coverage]
- Upgrade dependencies: npx npm-check-updates -u`
License
Markdown To Document is licensed under the GNU General Public License.