How to Use Python Markdown

Python Markdown is a powerful tool for converting markdown texts to HTML. It provides an extensible interface for creating custom conversions and includes many built-in extensions for commonly required features. Let’s dive in and see how to make the most out of Python Markdown.

Step 1: Installation

To get started with Python Markdown, you need to first install it. You can install Python Markdown using pip, Python’s package installer. Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following instructions:

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pip install markdown

Step 2: Importing Python Markdown

Once installed, you can use Python Markdown in your Python scripts. Import it using the following code:

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import markdown

Step 3: Converting Markdown to HTML

Now that you have Python Markdown imported, you can begin converting Markdown to HTML. Here is a simple usage:

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html = markdown.markdown(your_text)

In the above code, your_text is the markdown text you wish to convert to HTML.

Step 4: Using Extensions

Python Markdown supports a variety of extensions to add extra functionality. To use an extension, you need to pass the extension name as a string in the extensions parameter while converting. Here is an example:

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html = markdown.markdown(your_text, extensions=['extra'])

In the above code, the extra extension is used which includes several additional features like tables, footnotes, and more.

Step 5: Saving HTML to a File

After converting markdown to HTML, you may want to save it to a file. Here is how to do it:

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with open('your_file.html', 'w') as f:
    f.write(html)

In the above code, your_file.html is the name of the HTML file you want to create.

Complete Code

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import markdown
 
# Your markdown text
your_text = """
# Hello, World!
 
This is a simple markdown text.
"""
 
# Convert to HTML
html = markdown.markdown(your_text, extensions=['extra'])
 
# Save to file
with open('your_file.html', 'w') as f:
    f.write(html)

Note: Replace your_text with your actual markdown text and your_file.html with your desired output file name.

Conclusion

Python Markdown provides an easy way to convert markdown to HTML and gives an extensible platform for additional conversions. With Python Markdown, you can take your markdown texts further and use them in more ways than one.