md2docx2pdf

A small suite of Python scripts to convert Markdown -> DOCX -> PDF.

This repository contains three tools:

• md2docx.py — Convert Markdown (.md) to Microsoft Word (.docx). Supports math (LaTeX) rendering, images, code blocks, tables, and batch conversion.
• docx2pdf.py — Convert Word (.docx/.doc) to PDF. Uses multiple backends: docx2pdf (Windows), Word COM (comtypes) on Windows, or LibreOffice on other platforms.
• md2pdf_pipeline.py — A pipeline that runs md2docx.py then docx2pdf.py to produce PDF output from Markdown, with an option to keep intermediate DOCX files.

Features

• Markdown to DOCX with math rendering (matplotlib-generated images).
• DOCX to PDF conversion with fallbacks across multiple backends.
• Batch processing and recursive directory scanning.
• Verbose logging mode for debugging.

Requirements

The scripts rely on a few Python packages. Install them with pip:

pip install -r requirements.txt

If you prefer to install individual packages (used across the scripts):

pip install python-docx markdown2 pillow requests beautifulsoup4 matplotlib
pip install docx2pdf comtypes    # optional; Windows-only backends

Notes:

• On Linux/macOS, LibreOffice is used for DOCX → PDF conversion if other backends are unavailable. Install LibreOffice from your platform package manager.
• On Windows, installing docx2pdf or comtypes (and having MS Word installed) enables higher-fidelity conversions.

Usage

All scripts are CLI tools. Run them with Python 3.

Markdown -> DOCX (single file):

python md2docx.py input.md
# specify output
python md2docx.py input.md output.docx
# batch
python md2docx.py --batch path\to\dir

DOCX -> PDF (single file):

python docx2pdf.py input.docx
# specify output
python docx2pdf.py input.docx output.pdf
# force backend
python docx2pdf.py input.docx --backend libreoffice
# batch
python docx2pdf.py --batch path\to\dir

Markdown -> PDF pipeline:

python md2pdf_pipeline.py input.md
# specify output
python md2pdf_pipeline.py input.md output.pdf
# keep intermediate DOCX
python md2pdf_pipeline.py input.md --keep-docx
# batch
python md2pdf_pipeline.py --batch path\to\dir

Add --verbose or -v to any command to enable more detailed logging.

Backend details & troubleshooting

• docx2pdf: Python package that wraps Microsoft Word on Windows. Requires MS Office. If installation or Word is missing, conversion will fall back.
• comtypes: Uses the Word COM interface directly on Windows. Requires MS Word.
• LibreOffice: Cross-platform soffice/libreoffice command-line conversion. Must be installed and available on PATH. On Windows, the scripts try common installation paths.

Common issues:

• Missing Python packages: Run pip install -r requirements.txt.
• LibreOffice not found: Install LibreOffice or choose a different backend on Windows.
• Permission errors saving output: Ensure the output directory exists and you have write permissions.

Examples

Convert a single markdown file to PDF in one step:

python md2pdf_pipeline.py report.md report.pdf

Batch convert all markdown files under a directory (recursively):

python md2pdf_pipeline.py --batch C:\projects\notes --recursive

Convert a directory of DOCX files to PDF using LibreOffice explicitly:

python docx2pdf.py --batch C:\docs --backend libreoffice

Development & Tests

This is a small utility repository. To run basic smoke tests, try converting a minimal markdown file and inspect the output.

License

This project includes a LICENSE file in the repository root. Review it for terms.

Contributing

Contributions welcome — please open issues or pull requests. When adding features, include tests and update this README with new usage notes.