📜 vox-md

🌟 A Rust-Based CLI Tool to Convert Markdown Files to PDF with Customizable Formatting and Templates 🌟

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Features
• System Requirements
• Installation
• Getting Started
• Usage
• Contributing
• Security
• Code of Conduct
• Support
• License
• Acknowledgements

Introduction

vox-md is an open-source command-line interface (CLI) tool written in Rust that converts Markdown files to professionally formatted PDF documents. Leveraging the pulldown-cmark library for Markdown parsing and wkhtmltopdf for PDF generation, it offers customizable templates, page sizes, margins, font sizes, and orientations. Designed for developers, writers, and documentation enthusiasts, vox-md simplifies the process of creating polished PDFs from Markdown with minimal setup.

The tool supports three built-in HTML templates (default, modern, minimal) for styling, and users can create custom templates for further personalization. With verbose logging and robust error handling, vox-md ensures a reliable and user-friendly experience.

Note: This project is actively maintained. It requires wkhtmltopdf to be installed on your system. Contributions to add new features, templates, or improve performance are welcome!

Features

• Markdown to PDF Conversion:
  • Parses Markdown files using pulldown-cmark and converts them to HTML.
  • Generates PDFs using wkhtmltopdf with high-quality rendering.
• Customizable Output:
  • Supports multiple page sizes: A4, Letter, Legal.
  • Configurable margins (in millimeters).
  • Portrait or landscape orientation.
  • Custom document title and base font size.
• Template System:
  • Includes three built-in templates: default, modern, minimal.
  • Allows custom HTML templates stored in the templates/ directory.
  • Templates support dynamic font size substitution.
• Command-Line Interface:
  • Built with structopt for intuitive argument parsing.
  • Supports flags for input/output paths, template selection, and verbose logging.
• Error Handling:
  • Validates input (.md extension) and output (.pdf extension) files.
  • Provides clear error messages for missing files, invalid templates, or configuration issues.
• Verbose Mode:
  • Detailed logs for debugging (e.g., template loading, PDF generation steps).
• Cross-Platform:
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with wkhtmltopdf installed.
• Lightweight:
  • Minimal dependencies and efficient Rust implementation.

System Requirements

To run vox-md, ensure you have:

• Operating System: Windows, macOS, or Linux.
• Rust: Stable toolchain (version 1.56 or higher recommended).
• wkhtmltopdf: Installed and accessible in your system PATH.
  • Install via package manager:
    • Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt-get install wkhtmltopdf
    • macOS: brew install wkhtmltopdf
    • Windows: Download from wkhtmltopdf.org
• Disk Space: ~10 MB for the compiled binary, templates, and dependencies (output PDFs vary by content).
• Dependencies (managed by Cargo):
  • pulldown-cmark: Markdown parsing.
  • wkhtmltopdf: PDF generation.
  • structopt: CLI argument parsing.
• Input Files:
  • Markdown files with .md extension.
  • Optional: Custom HTML templates in the templates/ directory.

Installation

Follow these steps to install and set up vox-md:

1. Install Rust:

   • Install the Rust toolchain via rustup:

     curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
     

   • Update Rust:

     rustup update
     

2. Install wkhtmltopdf:

   • Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get install wkhtmltopdf
     

   • macOS:

     brew install wkhtmltopdf
     

   • Windows: Download and install from wkhtmltopdf.org, then add to PATH.

3. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/VoxDroid/vox-md.git
   

4. Navigate to the Project Directory:

   cd vox-md
   

5. Build the Project:

   cargo build --release
   

   The compiled binary will be located at target/release/vox-md.

6. (Optional) Install Globally:

   • Copy the binary to a directory in your PATH (e.g., /usr/local/bin on Linux/macOS):

     sudo cp target/release/vox-md /usr/local/bin/
     

7. Verify Installation:

   vox-md --help
   

   This should display the CLI help message with available options.

8. Prepare Templates:

   • Ensure the templates/ directory contains default.html, modern.html, and minimal.html.
   • Example template structure:

     <!DOCTYPE html>
     <html>
     <head>
         <style>
             body { font-size: {{FONT_SIZE}}pt; }
         </style>
     </head>
     <body>
         {{CONTENT}}
     </body>
     </html>
     

Note: If wkhtmltopdf is not in your PATH, you may need to specify its location via environment variables or update your system configuration.

Getting Started

To start using vox-md:

1. Prepare a Markdown File:

   • Create a sample Markdown file (e.g., sample.md):

     # My Document
     This is a **sample** Markdown file.
     - Item 1
     - Item 2
     

2. Run vox-md:

   • Convert sample.md to output.pdf using the default template:

     vox-md sample.md
     

   • Specify a custom output path and template:

     vox-md sample.md -o mydoc.pdf --template modern --page-size Letter
     

3. Explore Options:

   • Use verbose mode for detailed logs:

     vox-md sample.md -v
     

   • Customize margins and font size:

     vox-md sample.md --margin 20 --font-size 14
     

   • Set landscape orientation and title:

     vox-md sample.md --orientation landscape --title "My Custom Document"
     

4. Verify Output:

   • Open the generated PDF (e.g., output.pdf) in a PDF viewer.
   • Check formatting, template styling, and content accuracy.

Usage

Basic Command

Convert a Markdown file to PDF with default settings:

vox-md input.md

• Input: input.md
• Output: output.pdf
• Template: default
• Page Size: A4
• Margin: 12mm
• Orientation: Portrait
• Font Size: 12pt
• Title: "Markdown Document"

Customizing Output

Use flags to customize the PDF:

vox-md input.md -o custom.pdf --template minimal --page-size Legal --margin 15 --orientation landscape --font-size 10 --title "Project Report"

• -o: Specify output file.
• --template: Choose default, modern, or minimal (or custom template name).
• --page-size: Set to A4, Letter, or Legal.
• --margin: Set margin in millimeters.
• --orientation: Set to portrait or landscape.
• --font-size: Set base font size in points.
• --title: Set PDF document title.

Verbose Mode

Enable detailed logging for debugging:

vox-md input.md -v

Output includes template loading, HTML conversion, and PDF generation steps.

Custom Templates

1. Create a new HTML template in templates/ (e.g., custom.html):

   <!DOCTYPE html>
   <html>
   <head>
       <style>
           body { font-size: {{FONT_SIZE}}pt; font-family: Arial; }
           h1 { color: navy; }
       </style>
   </head>
   <body>
       {{CONTENT}}
   </body>
   </html>
   

2. Use the custom template:

   vox-md input.md --template custom
   

Example Workflow

1. Write a Markdown file (report.md):

   # Annual Report
   ## Summary
   This report covers **2025** performance.
   - Revenue: $1M
   - Growth: 10%
   

2. Generate a PDF with the modern template:

   vox-md report.md -o report.pdf --template modern --page-size Letter --margin 10
   

3. Open report.pdf to view the styled document.

To try vox-md:

1. Clone the repository and install dependencies as described in Installation.
2. Create a sample Markdown file (e.g., sample.md).
3. Run:

   vox-md sample.md -o sample.pdf --template minimal
   

4. Open sample.pdf to view the result.

Contributing

We welcome contributions to vox-md! To get involved:

• Review the Contributing Guidelines for details on submitting issues, feature requests, or pull requests.
• Fork the repository, make changes, and submit a pull request.
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct to ensure a respectful community.

Example contributions:

• Add new templates or styling options.
• Support additional Markdown features (e.g., tables, code blocks).
• Improve error messages or add new CLI flags.
• Optimize PDF generation performance.

Security

Security is a priority for vox-md. If you discover a vulnerability:

• Report it privately as outlined in the Security Policy.
• Avoid public disclosure until the issue is resolved.

Code of Conduct

All contributors and users are expected to follow the Code of Conduct to maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Support

Need help with vox-md? Visit the Support page for resources, including:

• Filing bug reports or feature requests.
• Community discussions and contact information.
• FAQs for common issues (e.g., wkhtmltopdf setup, template errors).

License

vox-md is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgements

• VoxDroid: For creating and maintaining the project.
• Rust Community: For providing robust libraries like pulldown-cmark and wkhtmltopdf.
• wkhtmltopdf: For reliable PDF generation.
• Contributors: Thanks to all who report issues, suggest features, or contribute code.
• Markdown Users: For inspiring tools that simplify documentation workflows.

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