gdocs2md

A simple Google Apps script to convert a properly formatted Google Drive Document to the markdown (.md) format.

⚠️ Updates on this repo

Proceed carefully. Take some time to experiment and learn how it works. I take no responsibility for lost documents.

This repo introduces 2 new versions for the file export feature:

• v1.5 where you specify the destination folder (need to edit the first variable on the script file)
• v2 where it saves the files on the same folder where the google document is located.

Both versions update files instead deleting an entire subfolder. (with exception to images, they are actually deleted and reuploaded). Hope this is useful for other ppl. If you're curious I'm using this to be able to get a regular backup on github of an important document I'm working on :)

Known limitations:

Under some circumstances the script will fail. I've been trying to fix some myself, for others I've been asking around for help. Current known limitations that I am not working on include:

• the use of columns
• the use of page numbers

Usage

• Adding this script to your doc (once per doc):

  • Open your Google Drive document (http://drive.google.com)
  • Tools -> Script Manager > New
  • Select "Blank Project", then paste this code in and save.
  • Clear the myFunction() default empty function and paste the contents of converttomarkdown.gapps into the code editor
  • File -> Save

• Running the script (run as many times as you want):

  • Markdown > Export File (Creates a new folder target in the same directory as the document. Markdown and image files are stored in it. A warning is generated if a target directory already exists)
  • Markdown > Export Email (Sends you an email with the Markdown and image files)
  • Markdown > Latex Equation (Put your cursor on a equation and run the script. It will output the LaTex formatting in a dialog)

Interpreted formats

• Text:
  • paragraphs are separated by two newlines
  • text styled as heading 1, 2, 3, etc is converted to Markdown heading: #, ##, ###, etc
  • text formatted with Courier New is backquoted: text
  • links are converted to MD format: [anchortext](url)
• Lists:
  • Numbered lists are converted correctly, including nested lists
  • bullet lists are converted to "*" Markdown format appropriately, including nested lists
• Images:
  • images are correctly extracted and sent as attachments
• Drawings:
  • not supported - there seems to be no API function to export a drawing as a rasterized or vector image.
• Equations:
  • Equations are converted to LaTex equations and surrounded by $ signs
• Table of contents:
  • Is replaced by [[TOC]]
• Horizontal line:
  • Inserts a ---
• Header/Footer:
  • Extracts text with all formattings and inserts it at the top and bottom of the markdown document, seperated by ---.
• Tables:
  • Converted to Markdown tables following GitHub Markdown syntax. Formatting within cells gets transferred.
• Source code:
  • Fenced code blocks are started by three back-ticks and a string and ended by three back-ticks. If such a fenced code block is detected, single line break is used within it.

CONTRIBUTORS

• Renato Mangini - G+ - Github
• Ed Bacher - G+ - Github
• Andreas Wolke - G+ - Github
• Omar Costa Hamido - webpage - Github

LICENSE

Use this script at your will, on any document you want and for any purpose, commercial or not. The MarkDown files generated by this script are not considered derivative work and don't require any attribution to the owners of this script.

If you want to modify and redistribute the script (not the converted documents - those are yours), just keep a reference to this repo or to the license info below:

Copyright 2013 Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at

    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.