Markup format converters are software utilities that authors can use to shorten the time needed to create templates, tables and convert different markdown syntax to other formats. While these packages are not a perfect solution they can ease difficulties for authors that are not fluent with syntax for a particular markup. These packages and utilities can be an effective tool for both wiki contributions and converting repositories to accommodate projects that use different documentation software. These converters can either be downloaded from a repository such as Debian. Or free utilities can be used on certain websites on an as needed basis.

Markdown Converter Examples[edit]

Pandoc: pandoc ^[archive] is available from the official Debian repositories which can be downloaded using APT.

Pandoc is a Haskell library for converting from one markup format to another, and a command-line tool that uses this library. It can read several dialects of Markdown and (subsets of) HTML, reStructuredText, LaTeX, DocBook, MediaWiki markup, TWiki markup, Haddock markup, OPML, Emacs Org-mode, txt2tags, Word Docx, ODT, and Textile, and it can write Markdown, reStructuredText, XHTML, HTML 5, LaTeX (including rendering as plain PDF or beamer slide shows), ConTeXt, DocBook, OPML, TEI, OpenDocument, ODT, Word docx, RTF, MediaWiki [...]

Tables Generator Utility: Tables Generator (https://www.tablesgenerator.com/ ^[archive]) is a web based utility that is compatible with Google Chrome and Firefox browsers. This utility can create LaTeX HTML, text-only, MediaWiki, Markdown tables and convert markup formats between each table type. While this site claims not to store any user data this cannot be verified.

Do not worry, we do not store your data on our servers and we do not use it for any other purpose than generating the desired table code. We love open source and free software -- our generators are and remain free of charge.^[1]

Tables Generator uses the following open-source software.^[1]

Web Utility Caveats[edit]

Most if not all web based markup converting utilities require JavaScript to function properly. Since JavaScript is a common avenue for attack the use of these utilities from untrusted websites is strongly recommended against. Instead, a markup converter package from the official Debian repository can be used as it free and open source and does not require an Internet connection to function.

While there are web based utilities such as Tables Generator that are free and open-source , many of the utilities found on the Internet are copyrighted or have restrictions which only allows for casual use unless a package is purchased.^[1] Users should carefully read any accompanying licenses or restrictions prior to submitting contributions which were created using the utility.