md-to-office
Scanned@PiyushDuggal-source
npx machina-cli add skill @PiyushDuggal-source/pandic-office --openclawLocal Pandoc Conversion Skill
This skill uses the pandoc command-line utility to convert documents between numerous markup formats.
Basic Usage
The fundamental structure of a pandoc command is:
pandoc [options] [input-file]…
Simple Conversion
To convert a Markdown file to HTML:
pandoc -o output.html input.md
Specifying Formats
While pandoc can infer formats from file extensions, you can be explicit with the -f (from) and -t (to) flags.
# Convert HTML to Markdown
pandoc -f html -t markdown input.html
Standalone Documents
To create a complete document with a proper header and footer (e.g., a full HTML file), use the -s or --standalone flag.
pandoc -s -o output.html input.md
Advanced Examples
The following examples are extracted from the official Pandoc User's Guide.
PDF Output
To create a PDF, pandoc typically uses a LaTeX engine. Ensure one is installed.
# Basic PDF creation
pandoc input.md -o output.pdf
# Control PDF engine and style via variables
pandoc input.md -o output.pdf --pdf-engine=xelatex -V geometry:margin=1in -V fontsize=12pt
Document Structure & Metadata
Pandoc can automatically generate a table of contents and use document metadata.
# Create a document with a Table of Contents (up to level 3 headings)
pandoc --toc --toc-depth=3 -o output.docx input.md
# Set metadata fields from the command line
pandoc -M title:"My Report" -M author:"Galactus" -o output.pdf input.md
Templates and Styling
You can control the final output's structure and style with templates and other options.
# Use a custom template for HTML output
pandoc -s --template=my-template.html -o output.html input.md
# For HTML output, link to a custom CSS file
pandoc -s --css=styles.css -o output.html input.md
# For DOCX output, use a reference document for styling
pandoc --reference-doc=reference.docx -o output.docx input.md
Reading from the Web
Pandoc can directly fetch and convert content from a URL.
pandoc -f html -t markdown https://www.fsf.org
Other Useful Options
# Preserve tabs instead of converting them to spaces
pandoc --preserve-tabs ...
# Control line wrapping in the output source code
pandoc --wrap=none ...
# Shift heading levels (e.g., make all H1s into H2s, H2s into H3s)
pandoc --shift-heading-level-by=1 ...
This enhanced documentation provides a more robust foundation for using pandoc.
Overview
This skill uses pandoc to convert Markdown files (.md) into PDF documents. It relies on a LaTeX engine to render the final output and supports metadata, templates, and layout adjustments for polished reports.
How This Skill Works
Pandoc reads the Markdown input and emits a PDF via a LaTeX backend. The common workflow is pandoc input.md -o output.pdf, with options like -s for standalone documents, --pdf-engine to choose the engine, and -M to set metadata. Advanced styling can be controlled with templates or a reference LaTeX document.
When to Use It
- You need to convert a .md file to a PDF when a user requests a printable document.
- You want a standalone PDF with a proper header and footer (-s) for distribution.
- You need to adjust layout or typography using -V geometry, -V fontsize, or --pdf-engine.
- You want to embed metadata such as a title or author directly in the PDF (-M title, -M author).
- You require a Table of Contents in the PDF using --toc and --toc-depth.
Quick Start
- Step 1: Install pandoc and a LaTeX engine (e.g., TeX Live or MiKTeX).
- Step 2: Run pandoc input.md -o output.pdf to generate the PDF.
- Step 3: Optional flags like -s, --pdf-engine, -M metadata, or --toc to tailor the output.
Best Practices
- Ensure a LaTeX engine (TeX Live or MiKTeX) is installed before generating PDFs.
- Use -s to create a standalone document with proper structure.
- Use -M title and -M author to embed metadata in the PDF.
- Leverage --toc and --toc-depth for navigable long documents.
- If styling is needed, supply a LaTeX template or a reference document via --template or --reference-doc.
Example Use Cases
- pandoc input.md -o output.pdf
- pandoc input.md -o output.pdf --pdf-engine=xelatex -V geometry:margin=1in -V fontsize=12pt
- pandoc -M title:My Report -M author:Galactus -o output.pdf input.md
- pandoc -s --template=my-template.tex -o output.pdf input.md
- pandoc --toc --toc-depth=3 -o output.pdf input.md
