Convert Markdown formatted documents to anki decks
The decks were tested on:
-
Create an anki deck
.apkgfile -
The name of the deck and its notes will be updated on your next deck import (this works via automatic IDs, deletions can not be tracked!)
-
Very simple basic structure that supports additionally anki note tags and anki subdecks:
-
Supported question/answer content:
- LaTeX math (inline and blocks)
- Images (local files and URLs, vector and raster format)
- Code (inline and blocks)
- All basic Markdown features (i.e. tables, bold, italics, lines)
-
Merge notes from multiple markdown input files into a single deck output file
-
Export document and all used local assets to a custom directory that can easily be shared or used as backup
To evaluate code and export to pdf the following additional software needs to be installed:
# Linux
# > Ubuntu
# >> Evaluate code
sudo apt install clang inkscape latexmk nodejs texlive texlive-latex-extra #texlive-full
# >> PDF export
sudo apt install librsvg2-bin pandoc texlive-xetex
# > Arch/Manjaro
# Manjaro/Arch Linux
# >> Evaluate code
sudo pacman -S swi-prolog clang npm inkscape
# >> PDF export
sudo pacman -S pandoc-cli texlive-latex texlive-binextra texlive-xetex texlive-latexextra texlive-fontsextra texlive-luatex texlive-fontsrecommended# Windows (the choco package manager is just an example)
# > Evaluate code
choco install inkscape llvm miktex nodejs
# > PDF export
choco install miktex pandoc rsvg-convert(On Windows rsvg-convert can sometimes throw errors in combination with pandoc but the latest build from miyako does not throw them so try this one if you get errors)
# Linux + Windows
npm install -g tsx
# > For matplotlib python graphs (used in some examples):
python -m pip install numpy matplotlib# Example 'Basic' (3714486828)
## One line question (66b3661f-e22e-4986-a50d-569fdac454ad)
One line answer
## Multi line (24501c1a-f615-4355-a862-a00f64cc4725)
question thanks to a question answer separator (`---`)
---
Answer that has multiple lines.
**Basic** *Markdown* and <ins>HTML</ins> <del>formatting</del> is supported.
List:
- a
- b
- c
- d
- e
New list:
1. abc
2. def
- a
1. maximum depth
## Question with multiple (parenthesis) (is) (possible) (b7b85393-b76d-43e6-965a-d86108bf5b09)
Answer
## Lines in answers with multiple `---` (f0e03cb6-2015-4f64-bcd3-51e24763705b)
First question answer seperator in the question.
---
Answer
---
Second part of answer with a line before it.# Example 'Subdeck' (750441971)
Example document to show how subdecks work.
`{=:global_tag:=}`
## Question 1 (f51d6aa5-1e39-4ad7-94fb-042f7084eff5)
Answer
## Subdeck: Subdeck Heading 1 (406542328)
All notes of the level 3 will be added to this subdeck.
`{=:subdeck_tag_1:=}`
### Question 1.1 (583813da-5766-4cb8-b39f-ae0337e1f13c)
Answer
## Question 1.2 (f51d6aa5-1e39-4ad8-94fb-047f7094eff5)
Answer
## Subdeck: Subdeck Heading 2 (406541128)
`{=:subdeck_tag_2:=}`
### Question 2.1 (583813da-5766-4cb8-b39f-ae0337e1f13c)
Answer
### Subdeck: Subdeck Heading 3 with escaped :​: double colon (406641128)
All notes of the level 4 will be added to this subdeck.
`{=:subdeck_subdeck_tag:=}`
#### Question 3.1 (583813da-5786-4cb8-b39f-ae0337e1f13c)
Answer
### Question 2.2 (583223da-5786-4cb8-b39f-ae0337e1f13c)
AnswerTo create Fill in the blanks Anki cards you need to change the anki model:
md2anki document.md -o-anki anki_deck.apkg -anki-model md2anki_type_clozeIf you select the md2anki_type_cloze_extra model the "extra" part below "---" will also be displayed only on the answer page while on the md2anki_type_cloze model it will just show it on the question and answer part:
md2anki document.md -o-anki anki_deck.apkg -anki-model md2anki_type_cloze_extra# Example 'Fill in the Blank' (3083273130)
## Basic fill in the blank (5afd1da8-f5af-4abd-8809-6e3e47d164eb)
This text is {{c1::boring::a custom hint}} and {{c1::a placeholder}}
---
This will create a card and be displayed as question:
- This text is [a custom hint] and [...]
which becomes the answer:
- This text is boring and a placeholder
## One line {{c1::cloze}} question (8d93bcdc-cbd9-4209-b7ae-0c9cafdb9d4e)
## Fill in the blank LaTeX math (c686c799-b625-4a76-88e2-fc1a7fd3e5c6)
- $1 + 1 =$ {{c1::$\Omega$::$\Sigma$}}
- $1 + 1 =$ {{c1::$\{ 1, \dots, \infty \}$::$\{ x, \dots, y \}$}}
## Fill in the blank source code (7c4ef35d-4eb1-4a86-955c-84fd7d1d506d)
- To write hello world in C++ you need {{c1::std:​:iostream::the C++ standard library...}}
- To write hello world in C++ you need {{c1:: `#include <std::iostream>`{.cpp} ::the C++ standard library...}}
```python
print("hello world") {{c1::source code comment}}
```
## Multiple fill the blanks (7e0c3a24-a542-4b53-84c2-0481caa86ab4)
{{c1::Mitochondria}} are the {{c2::powerhouses}} of the cell
---
This will create 2 cards and be displayed as question:
1. [...] are the powerhouses of the cell
2. Mitochondria are the [...] of the cell
which both become the answer:
- Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cellThe anki models can be mixed together and even specified on the card:
# Global model md2anki_type_cloze
# - contains one md2anki_type_cloze (global override)
# - contains one md2anki_type_default (override on card)
# - contains one md2anki_type_cloze_extra (override on card)
md2anki document.md -o-anki anki_deck.apkg# Example 'Multiple card types' (2303117446)
Global card type:
`{=<md2anki_type_cloze>=}`
## Card with global {{c1::card type}} (680d8091-21fb-40e0-9b9b-314b93baafcf)
Answer
## Card with custom card type `{=<md2anki_type_default>=}` (888ca2b8-9191-49fb-9681-bd5d818b5749)
Answer
## {{c1::Multi}} line card with custom card type (0834581b-ad90-47c1-b6ba-fc884e582d87)
`{=<md2anki_type_cloze_extra>=}`
---
AnswerCheckout the examples directory for more examples.
If you want to run them all use the following command in that directory:
python -m examplesusage: md2anki [-h] [-v] [--lexers] [-d [{DEBUG,INFO,WARNING,ERROR,CRITICAL}]] [-e]
[--evaluate-code-ignore-cache] [--evaluate-code-delete-cache] [-k]
[-anki-model MODEL_ID] [-o-anki APKG_FILE] [-o-md MD_FILE]
[-o-md-dir MD_DIR] [-o-backup-dir BACKUP_DIR] [-o-pdf PDF_FILE]
[-evaluate-code-cache-dir CACHE_DIR] [-log-file LOG_FILE]
[-file-dir [FILE_DIR ...]] [-md-heading-depth HEADING_DEPTH]
[-custom-program language program]
[-custom-program-args language program-args]
MD_INPUT_FILE [MD_INPUT_FILE ...]
Create an anki deck file (.apkg) from one or more Markdown documents. If no custom
output path is given the file name of the document (+ .apkg) is used.
positional arguments:
MD_INPUT_FILE Markdown (.md) input file that contains anki deck notes
options:
--evaluate-code-delete-cache
delete all cached files from previous code evaluations (default:
False)
--evaluate-code-ignore-cache
ignore the cached files from previous code evaluations (default:
False)
--lexers print a list of all supported lexer languages and their aliases
-anki-model MODEL_ID custom anki card model (md2anki_type_default,
md2anki_type_answer, md2anki_type_cloze,
md2anki_type_cloze_extra) (default: md2anki_type_default)
-custom-program language program
use custom program for code evaluation [i.e. "py" "python3.11"]
(default: [('py', 'python'), ('js', 'node'), ('ts', 'npx'),
('pl', 'swipl'), ('latex', 'latexmk'), ('latex', 'inkscape'),
('cpp', 'clang++'), ('cpp', 'main.exe'), ('c', 'clang'), ('c',
'main.exe'), ('pandoc_pdf', 'pandoc')])
-custom-program-args language program-args
use custom program args for code evaluation [i.e. "py"
"[\"-c\",\"MD2ANKI_CODE\"]"] (default: [('py', '["-c",
"MD2ANKI_CODE"]'), ('js', '["-e", "MD2ANKI_CODE"]'), ('ts',
'["tsx", "MD2ANKI_CODE_FILE=code.ts"]'), ('pl', '["-O", "-s",
"MD2ANKI_CODE_FILE=code.pl", "-g", "true", "-t", "halt."]'),
('latex', '["-shell-escape", "-pdf",
"MD2ANKI_CODE_FILE=code.tex"]'), ('latex', '["--export-
filename=code.svg", "code.pdf"]'), ('cpp', '["-Wall",
"-std=c++20", "MD2ANKI_CODE_FILE=main.cpp", "-o", "main.exe"]'),
('cpp', '[]'), ('c', '["-std=c17", "MD2ANKI_CODE_FILE=main.c",
"-o", "main.exe"]'), ('c', '[]'), ('pandoc_pdf', '["--from",
"markdown", "--to", "pdf", "--table-of-contents", "-V",
"geometry:a4paper", "-V", "geometry:margin=2cm", "--pdf-
engine=xelatex", "--pdf-engine-opt=-shell-escape"]')])
-d, --debug [{DEBUG,INFO,WARNING,ERROR,CRITICAL}]
custom log level to the console (default: INFO)
-e, --evaluate-code evaluate markdown inline code/code blocks with the language
prefix '=' i.e. '`print(1+1)`{=python}' or '```{=python}
[newline] print(1+1) [newline] ```' (default: False)
-evaluate-code-cache-dir CACHE_DIR
use a custom cache dir for code evaluations (default: None)
-file-dir [FILE_DIR ...]
add directories that should be checked for referenced files
(like relative path images) (default: [])
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-k, --keep-temp-files
keep temporary files (default: False)
-log-file LOG_FILE log all messages to a text file (.log) (default: None)
-md-heading-depth HEADING_DEPTH
use a custom Markdown heading depth (>=1) (default: 1)
-o-anki APKG_FILE custom anki deck (.apkg) output file path [if not given: md
input file name + .apkg] (default: None)
-o-backup-dir BACKUP_DIR
create a backup of the anki deck (i.e. merges input files and
copies external files) in a directory (default: None)
-o-md MD_FILE custom updated (and merged if multiple input files) Markdown
(.md) output file path for all input files (default: None)
-o-md-dir MD_DIR custom output directory for all updated Markdown (.md) input
files (default: None)
-o-pdf PDF_FILE create a PDF (.pdf) file of the anki deck (i.e. merges input
files and removes IDs) (default: None)
-v, --version show program's version number and exit
# Single source file
md2anki anki_deck.md -o-anki anki_deck.apkg
# Multiple source files
md2anki *.md -o-anki anki_deck.apkg# Single source file
md2anki anki_deck.md -o-anki anki_deck.apkg
# Multiple source files
md2anki (Get-ChildItem -Filter *.md) -o-anki anki_deck.apkgIt can be installed using pip:
# Install
pip install md2anki
# Uninstall
pip uninstall md2anki-
Download a wheel (
.whl) file from GitHub Releases -
Run:
# Install pip install md2anki-$CURRENT_VERSION-py3-none-any.whl # Uninstall pip uninstall md2anki
cd pkgbuild
# Build package and then install it via pacman
makepkg -p PKGBUILD --syncdeps --rmdeps --clean
pacman -S python-md2anki-$CURRENT_VERSION-1-any.pkg.tar.zst
# Or build and install package
makepkg -p PKGBUILD --syncdeps --rmdeps --clean --install
# Remove package
pacman -R python-md2ankiVia the file pyproject.toml the package can be built:
# Some values in this config (e.g. version, dependencies) are auto generated using
python -m pip install tomlkit
python -m update_pyprojectThe following commands create the package files in a new directory called dist:
md2anki-$CURRENT_VERSION-py3-none-any.whlmd2anki-$CURRENT_VERSION.tar.gz
python -m pip install --upgrade build
python -m buildThe wheel (.whl) file can be installed and uninstalled via pip:
# Install
python -m pip install "dist/md2anki-$CURRENT_VERSION-py3-none-any.whl"
# Uninstall
python -m pip uninstall md2ankiA list of editors which support WYSIWYG editing of such Markdown documents (source code and math blocks):
- Typora (paid, free to use until version 0.9)
- Visual Studio Code (open source)
beautifulsoup4: Edit HTMLgenanki: Write Anki decksMarkdown: Convert Markdown to HTMLPygments: Convert source code to HTML with syntax highlighting/colors
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
# Runtime dependencies
python -m pip install --upgrade beautifulsoup4 genanki Markdown Pygments
# Save requirements
python -m pip freeze > "requirements.txt"- Create an PyPI account
- Go to account settings, Scroll to API tokens, Create PyPI API token (with only the project scope if project already exists)
# Build
python -m pip install --upgrade pip build
python -m build
# Upload (only if a non existing version is found)
python -m pip install twine
python -m twine upload --skip-existing dist/*
# Use as username: "__token__"
# Use as password the created PyPI API token: "pypi-......"Python files can be checked for type errors (to some extent) using the commands:
python -m pip install --upgrade mypy tomlkit types-beautifulsoup4 types-Markdown types-Pygments types-setuptools
python -m mypy src examples tests clean.py format.py main.py update_pkgbuild.py update_pyproject.py update_readme.pyThe tests can be run using the command (in the tests directory):
python -m unittestPython files can be formatted using the commands:
python -m pip install --upgrade black
# Add the option --check to only check if its already in the correct format
python -m black src examples tests clean.py format.py main.py update_pkgbuild.py update_pyproject.py update_readme.pyThis project was written using the following code editors (IDEs):