Xah Talk Show 2025-11-23 Ep716 Emacs Lisp Call Python Markdown to HTML

Video Summary (Generated by AI, Edited by Human.)

• Intro. write an Elisp command in Emacs that calls an external Python program to convert Markdown text to HTML (6:01).
• Ask grok AI for a Python Markdown Converter. (9:52).

• Test the Python Program. (35:13, 36:17).
• Begin writing the Emacs Lisp Command.

• Identify the Markdown text. (either a selected region or a text block separated by blank lines) (41:49).
• Call the Python script. (34:26, 1:09:06).
• Take input from STDIN. (1:05:38).
• Run Python Script from PowerShell. (1:11:44).
• Integrating with Emacs Lisp. (1:20:16).
• Demo success. (1:33:19)

• Find Python Library Location. (1:38:35).

• Emacs. do you kill buffer you don't use anymore. (17:27)
• Problem of Emacs mark-paragraph (48:59)

• Emacs. do you kill buffer you don't use anymore. (17:27)
• https://youtu.be/9Q4lb01i0Sw?t=1047

• Problem of Emacs mark-paragraph (48:59)
• https://youtu.be/9Q4lb01i0Sw?t=2940

links

• Practical Emacs Lisp
• PowerShell Tutorial
• Python Tutorial

• Markdown Tutorial
• Emacs: Emacs Markdown to HTML 📜
• Elisp: Call Shell Command on Region
• Python: Module Search Paths

how to write python markdown to html

• python markdown to html
• grok answer
• https://x.com/i/grok/share/pL7clCDlmyBCDoCGJPz4Jq7gC

pip install markdown

import markdown

xmarkdown_text = """
# Hello World

This is **bold** and this is *italic*.

- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3

"""

xhtml = markdown.markdown(xmarkdown_text)

print(xhtml)

get and pass stdin

• Python: Read STDIN

• in python, how to get stdin
• https://x.com/i/grok/share/yEJYa4Oz6pJ310js2dKEDeqvg

# 2025-11-23

import markdown
import sys

xmarkdown_text = sys.stdin.read()

xhtml = markdown.markdown(xmarkdown_text)

print(xhtml)

# pass stdin to the python script

Get-Content -Path "~/web/xahlee_info/talk_show/xx_sample_markdown.md" | python markdown_to_html.py -

emacs lisp call python xah-html-markdown-to-html-python

;; -*- coding: utf-8; lexical-binding: t; -*-

(defun xah-html-markdown-to-html-python ()
  "Convert the current text block or selection of markdown to HTML.
Require python and python markdown library installed.
(pip install markdown)

Created: 2025-11-23
Version: 2025-11-24"
  (interactive)
  (let (xbeg xend (xcode "import markdown
import sys
print(markdown.markdown(sys.stdin.read()))"))
    (seq-setq (xbeg xend) (if (region-active-p) (list (region-beginning) (region-end)) (list (save-excursion (if (re-search-backward "\n[ \t]*\n" nil 1) (match-end 0) (point))) (save-excursion (if (re-search-forward "\n[ \t]*\n" nil 1) (match-beginning 0) (point))))))
    (shell-command-on-region xbeg xend (format "python -c \"%s\"" xcode) nil t nil t)))

Emacs. do you kill buffer you don't use

• Emacs Flaw: kill-buffer Command Induces Buffer Accumulation
• Emacs Flaws Index

emacs. why not use mark-paragraph

• mark-paragraph
• forward-paragraph
• paragraph-start