https://www.softinio.com • This is a web feed, also known as an Atom feed. Subscribe by copying the URL from the address bar into your newsreader Visit website Recent posts Updated on $DATE date pandoc Software Engineer based in San Francisco Bay Area Zola 2024-03-03T00:00:00+00:00 https://www.softinio.com/tags/pandoc/atom.xml 2024-03-03T00:00:00+00:00 2024-03-03T00:00:00+00:00 Salar Rahmanian https://www.softinio.com/til/migrating-my-markdown-notes-from-obsidian-to-apple-notes/ <p>So I wanted to migrate my markdown notes from Obsidian to Apple Notes. Apple Notes did not support import from markdown. I also wanted to maintain the folder structure.</p> <p>For every file I also wanted to maintain the title of the note. I wanted to prepend the title to the HTML file so that when I import the HTML file to Apple Notes, the title is correctly set. I did this by adding the file name (without the extension) as an <code>h1</code> tag to the HTML file.</p> <p>I did this using <a class="external" href="https://pandoc.org">pandoc</a> and a bash script. Here is how I did it:</p> <pre data-lang="bash" class="language-bash z-code"><code class="language-bash" data-lang="bash"><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell">!/bin/bash</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-assignment z-shell">SRC_DIR</span><span class="z-keyword z-operator z-assignment z-shell">=</span><span class="z-string z-unquoted z-shell"><span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span>/obsidian_notes<span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-assignment z-shell">DEST_DIR</span><span class="z-keyword z-operator z-assignment z-shell">=</span><span class="z-string z-unquoted z-shell"><span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span>/notes_migrated_to_html<span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-function z-shell">find</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">SRC_DIR</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span><span class="z-variable z-parameter z-option z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-parameter z-shell"> -</span>type</span> f<span class="z-variable z-parameter z-option z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-parameter z-shell"> -</span>name</span> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span>*.md<span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> <span class="z-keyword z-operator z-logical z-pipe z-shell">|</span> <span class="z-keyword z-control z-loop z-while z-shell">while</span> <span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-function z-shell">IFS</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell">= read<span class="z-variable z-parameter z-option z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-parameter z-shell"> -</span>r</span> file</span><span class="z-keyword z-operator z-logical z-continue z-shell">;</span> <span class="z-keyword z-control z-loop z-do z-shell">do</span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> Compute the subdirectory path</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-assignment z-shell">sub_dir</span><span class="z-keyword z-operator z-assignment z-shell">=</span><span class="z-string z-unquoted z-shell"><span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-command z-parens z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-parens z-begin z-shell">(</span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-function z-shell">dirname</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-expansion z-parameter z-begin z-shell">{</span></span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">file<span class="z-keyword z-operator z-expansion z-shell">#</span></span></span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">SRC_DIR</span></span>/</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-expansion z-parameter z-end z-shell">}</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-parens z-end z-shell">)</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> Compute the destination path</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-assignment z-shell">dest_path</span><span class="z-keyword z-operator z-assignment z-shell">=</span><span class="z-string z-unquoted z-shell"><span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">DEST_DIR</span></span>/<span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">sub_dir</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> Print the source and destination paths for logging purposes</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-support z-function z-echo z-shell">echo</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span>processing: [<span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">file</span></span>] to [<span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">dest_path</span></span>]<span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> Create the destination directory structure</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-function z-shell">mkdir</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-parameter z-option z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-parameter z-shell"> -</span>p</span> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">dest_path</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> Define the output HTML file path</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-assignment z-shell">output_html</span><span class="z-keyword z-operator z-assignment z-shell">=</span><span class="z-string z-unquoted z-shell"><span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-expansion z-parameter z-begin z-shell">{</span></span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">dest_path</span></span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-expansion z-parameter z-end z-shell">}</span></span>/<span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-command z-parens z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-parens z-begin z-shell">(</span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-function z-shell">basename</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-expansion z-parameter z-begin z-shell">{</span></span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">file<span class="z-keyword z-operator z-expansion z-shell">%</span></span></span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell">.md</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-expansion z-parameter z-end z-shell">}</span></span>.html<span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-parens z-end z-shell">)</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> Convert the Markdown file to HTML</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-function z-shell">pandoc</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">file</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span><span class="z-variable z-parameter z-option z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-parameter z-shell"> -</span>o</span> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">output_html</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> Extract the base filename without the extension for the title</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-assignment z-shell">base_name</span><span class="z-keyword z-operator z-assignment z-shell">=</span><span class="z-string z-unquoted z-shell"><span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-command z-parens z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-parens z-begin z-shell">(</span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-function z-shell">basename</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">file</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span> .md</span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-parens z-end z-shell">)</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-comment z-begin z-shell">#</span></span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> Prepend the title to the HTML file</span><span class="z-comment z-line z-number-sign z-shell"> </span></span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"> <span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-support z-function z-echo z-shell">echo</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span>&lt;h1&gt;<span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">base_name</span></span>&lt;/h1&gt;<span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-command z-parens z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-parens z-begin z-shell">(</span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-shell"><span class="z-variable z-function z-shell">cat</span></span><span class="z-meta z-function-call z-arguments z-shell"> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">output_html</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-section z-parens z-end z-shell">)</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span> <span class="z-keyword z-operator z-assignment z-redirection z-shell">&gt;</span> <span class="z-string z-quoted z-double z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-begin z-shell">&quot;</span><span class="z-meta z-group z-expansion z-parameter z-shell"><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-variable z-shell">$</span><span class="z-variable z-other z-readwrite z-shell">output_html</span></span><span class="z-punctuation z-definition z-string z-end z-shell">&quot;</span></span></span> </span><span class="z-source z-shell z-bash"><span class="z-keyword z-control z-loop z-end z-shell">done</span> </span></code></pre> <p>I put the above script in a file called <code>convert_md_to_html.sh</code> and made it executable using <code>chmod +x convert_md_to_html.sh</code>. Then I ran the script using <code>./convert_md_to_html.sh</code>. This script will convert all the markdown files in the <code>SRC_DIR</code> to HTML files and put them in the <code>DEST_DIR</code> while maintaining the folder structure. Then I imported the HTML files to Apple Notes using the <code>File -&gt; Import to Notes</code> option. This worked like a charm. I was able to maintain the folder structure and the notes were imported with the correct titles.</p>