Created MD to PDF/TXT tool w GUI

Author: RandyNorthrup

MD to PDF or Text with GUI/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+# Markdown Converter (PySide6)
+
+A simple Python GUI tool built with **PySide6** that converts Markdown (`.md`) files into **PDF** or **Text** files.  
+It provides a clean interface to select the input file, choose the output format, and save it wherever you want.  
+
+---
+
+## Features
+- 🖱️ **User-friendly GUI** built with PySide6
+- 📂 **File selection dialogs** for choosing input and output files
+- 📝 **Markdown → Text** conversion
+- 📄 **Markdown → PDF** conversion with **Unicode** support (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, emoji, etc.)
+- ❌ Error handling with pop-up dialogs
+- ⚡ Option to run **with or without Pandoc**
+
+---
+
+## Requirements
+
+Make sure you have **Python 3.8+** installed.  
+
+Install the required Python packages:
+```bash
+pip install PySide6 reportlab pypandoc
+```
+
+---
+
+## Installing Pandoc (Required for Default Conversion)
+
+This tool uses **pypandoc**, which depends on the Pandoc binary.  
+Pandoc must be installed separately on your system.  
+
+### 1. Official Installation Instructions
+- Pandoc Official Installation Guide: [https://pandoc.org/installing.html](https://pandoc.org/installing.html)
+
+### 2. Windows
+- Download the **Windows Installer (.msi)** from the [Pandoc Releases Page](https://github.com/jgm/pandoc/releases)
+- Run the installer and let it add Pandoc to your PATH automatically.
+
+### 3. macOS
+Using **Homebrew** (recommended):
+```bash
+brew install pandoc
+```
+Or download the **macOS package** from the [Pandoc Releases Page](https://github.com/jgm/pandoc/releases)
+
+### 4. Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)
+```bash
+sudo apt update
+sudo apt install pandoc
+```
+For other Linux distros, check the [Pandoc Install Guide](https://pandoc.org/installing.html) for commands.
+
+---
+
+## Verify Pandoc Installation
+After installation, open a terminal or command prompt and run:
+```bash
+pandoc --version
+```
+You should see version information for Pandoc.
+
+---
+
+## How to Run
+
+1. Save the script as `markdown_converter.py`.
+2. Run the program:
+```bash
+python markdown_converter.py
+```
+
+---
+
+## Usage
+
+1. Click **"Select Markdown File"** in the app window.
+2. Choose a `.md` file from your system.
+3. Select output type: **PDF** or **Text**.
+4. Choose the save location and file name.
+5. Done! 🎉  
+
+---
+
+## Unicode Support
+
+- The PDF generation uses **HeiseiMin-W3** font to support a wide range of Unicode characters.
+- This ensures **Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and emoji** render correctly in the final PDF.
+
+---
+
+## Running Without Pandoc (Pure Python Option)
+
+If you don’t want to install Pandoc,  
+the code can be modified to use Python libraries like **markdown2** or **mistune** for parsing Markdown  
+and **ReportLab** for PDF generation.  
+
+This removes the external dependency but keeps full functionality.  
+
+---
+
+## Example Screenshots & GIF Demo (Optional)
+
+You can add screenshots or a short screen recording here to make the README more user-friendly.
+
+---
+
+## License
+MIT License – free to use, modify, and share.

MD to PDF or Text with GUI/md2pdftxt.py

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import sys
+from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget, QPushButton, QVBoxLayout, QFileDialog, QMessageBox
+from PySide6.QtCore import Qt
+import pypandoc
+from reportlab.platypus import SimpleDocTemplate, Paragraph
+from reportlab.lib.styles import getSampleStyleSheet
+from reportlab.pdfbase import pdfmetrics
+from reportlab.pdfbase.cidfonts import UnicodeCIDFont
+
+class MarkdownConverter(QWidget):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.setWindowTitle("Markdown Converter")
+        self.setGeometry(300, 300, 400, 150)
+
+        layout = QVBoxLayout()
+        self.button = QPushButton("Select Markdown File")
+        self.button.clicked.connect(self.select_file)
+        layout.addWidget(self.button)
+        self.setLayout(layout)
+
+        # Register a Unicode font for PDF
+        pdfmetrics.registerFont(UnicodeCIDFont('HeiseiMin-W3'))  # Japanese font that supports wide Unicode range
+
+    def select_file(self):
+        file_path, _ = QFileDialog.getOpenFileName(self, "Open Markdown File", "", "Markdown Files (*.md)")
+        if file_path:
+            self.convert_file(file_path)
+
+    def convert_file(self, file_path):
+        save_type, _ = QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(
+            self, "Save File As", "", "PDF Files (*.pdf);;Text Files (*.txt)"
+        )
+        if save_type:
+            if save_type.endswith(".pdf"):
+                self.convert_to_pdf(file_path, save_type)
+            elif save_type.endswith(".txt"):
+                self.convert_to_text(file_path, save_type)
+            else:
+                QMessageBox.warning(self, "Error", "Please select a valid file type.")
+
+    def convert_to_text(self, md_path, output_path):
+        try:
+            with open(md_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                md_content = f.read()
+            output = pypandoc.convert_text(md_content, 'plain', format='md', extra_args=['--standalone'])
+            with open(output_path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                f.write(output)
+            QMessageBox.information(self, "Success", "Markdown converted to Text successfully!")
+        except Exception as e:
+            QMessageBox.critical(self, "Error", f"Failed to convert: {e}")
+
+    def convert_to_pdf(self, md_path, output_path):
+        try:
+            with open(md_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                md_content = f.read()
+            text = pypandoc.convert_text(md_content, 'plain', format='md', extra_args=['--standalone'])
+            doc = SimpleDocTemplate(output_path)
+            styles = getSampleStyleSheet()
+            story = [Paragraph(line, styles["Normal"]) for line in text.split("\n")]
+            doc.build(story)
+            QMessageBox.information(self, "Success", "Markdown converted to PDF successfully!")
+        except Exception as e:
+            QMessageBox.critical(self, "Error", f"Failed to convert: {e}")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    window = MarkdownConverter()
+    window.show()
+    sys.exit(app.exec())