Solving the Mysterious Square Brackets: A Guide to Pandoc Export/Convert .md to .docx and .odt

Are you tired of seeing unwanted square brackets around your headings when converting your Markdown files to .docx or .odt using Pandoc? You’re not alone! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the world of Pandoc and explore the reasons behind this peculiar issue. More importantly, we’ll provide you with step-by-step instructions to resolve it and achieve beautiful, bracket-free headings in your exported documents.

Understanding the Problem

Before we dive into the solution, let’s take a closer look at the issue. When you convert your Markdown files to .docx or .odt using Pandoc, you might notice that headings (denoted by `#` symbols) are surrounded by square brackets `[]`. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re working on a document that requires a professional appearance.

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

After conversion, your headings might look like this:

[Heading 1]
[## Heading 2]
[### Heading 3]

The Culprit: Markdown Parser

The Markdown parser is the primary suspect behind the square bracket phenomenon. By default, Pandoc’s Markdown parser is set to `markdown_strict`, which is based on the original Markdown syntax. This parser has a habit of adding square brackets around headings to denote them as inline elements.

But fear not, dear reader! We can overcome this default behavior and achieve our desired output.

Solution 1: Change the Markdown Parser

One way to eliminate the square brackets is to switch from the `markdown_strict` parser to `markdown`. You can do this by adding the following flag to your Pandoc command:

pandoc -f markdown -t docx -o output.docx input.md

By using the `markdown` parser, you’ll get the desired output without square brackets around headings.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: Easy to implement, no need to modify your Markdown file.
• Cons: Might lead to other formatting issues, as the `markdown` parser is less strict than `markdown_strict`.

Solution 2: Use Header Ids

Another approach is to use header IDs to explicitly define your headings. This method requires a slight modification to your Markdown file.

# Heading 1 {#heading-1}
## Heading 2 {#heading-2}
### Heading 3 {#heading-3}

By adding header IDs, you’re telling Pandoc to treat these headings as block-level elements, rather than inline elements. This should eliminate the square brackets.

pandoc -f markdown_strict -t docx -o output.docx input.md

Pros and Cons

• Pros: More control over headings, works well with `markdown_strict` parser.
• Cons: Requires modification to your Markdown file, might add extra complexity.

Solution 3: Use a Custom Template

For more advanced users, creating a custom template can be an effective way to resolve the square bracket issue. You can create a template that redefines how headings are rendered in your output document.

Here’s an example of a custom template for .docx files:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<w:document xmlns:w="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/wordprocessingml/2006/main">
  <w:body>
    $body$
  </w:body>
</w:document>

Save this template as `template.docx` and use the following Pandoc command:

pandoc -f markdown_strict --template=template.docx -t docx -o output.docx input.md

Pros and Cons

• Pros: Highly customizable, works well with complex documents.
• Cons: Requires advanced knowledge of XML and Pandoc templates, can be time-consuming.

Comparison Table

Solution	Pros	Cons
Change Markdown Parser	Easy to implement, no need to modify Markdown file	Might lead to other formatting issues
Use Header Ids	More control over headings, works well with markdown_strict parser	Requires modification to Markdown file, might add extra complexity
Use a Custom Template	Highly customizable, works well with complex documents	Requires advanced knowledge of XML and Pandoc templates, can be time-consuming

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored the reasons behind the mysterious square brackets around headings when converting Markdown files to .docx or .odt using Pandoc. We’ve provided three solutions to resolve this issue, each with its own pros and cons. By choosing the solution that best fits your needs, you can achieve beautiful, bracket-free headings in your exported documents.

Remember, the key to mastering Pandoc is understanding its nuances and customizing it to your workflow. Experiment with different solutions, and soon you’ll be exporting like a pro!

Happy converting!

Frequently Asked Question

Pandoc users, we got you! We’ve got the answers to the most pressing questions about those pesky square brackets around headings when exporting .md to .docx or .odt.