README.md

Documentation to PDF Converter

A Python script that clones documentation from a Git repository (default: Next.js), processes it, and generates a well-formatted PDF with table of contents, proper formatting, and consistent styling.

Features

• Clones specific documentation directories from Git repositories
• Processes Markdown and MDX files
• Generates table of contents with proper numbering
• Handles code blocks with filename annotations
• Processes frontmatter for metadata
• Supports image path transformations
• Creates PDF with customizable headers and footers
• Includes cover page and proper page breaks

Requirements

System Requirements

• Python 3.7+
• Git installed and accessible from command line
• Internet connection for cloning repositories

Python Dependencies

Install all required packages using:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Then install Playwright's browser:

playwright install chromium

Setup

1. Clone this repository:

git clone 
cd 

2. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt
playwright install chromium

3. Ensure you have a styles.css file in the same directory as the script. This file should contain your desired CSS styling for the PDF output.

Usage

1. Basic usage with default settings (Next.js documentation):

python docs_to_pdf.py

2. The script will:
   • Clone/update the specified Git repository
   • Process all documentation files
   • Generate a PDF with proper formatting
   • Include a cover page and table of contents

Configuration

You can modify these variables in the script for different configurations:

repo_dir = "nextjs-docs"  # Local directory for cloned repo
repo_url = "https://github.com/vercel/next.js.git"  # Repository URL
branch = "canary"  # Branch to clone
docs_dir = "docs"  # Directory containing documentation

# Image URL transformation settings
Change_img_url = True
base_path = "https://nextjs.org/_next/image?url="
path_args = "&w=1920&q=75"

PDF Output Settings

The PDF generation includes:

• A4 format
• Custom margins
• Page numbers in header
• Generation date in footer
• Background colors/images
• Proper page breaks between sections

File Organization

• docs_to_pdf.py: Main script file
• requirements.txt: Python dependencies
• styles.css: CSS styling for PDF output
• README.md: This documentation

Troubleshooting

1. If the PDF file is locked:

   • Ensure the output PDF is not open in any application
   • Check file permissions

2. If images are not loading:

   • Verify internet connection
   • Check if image URLs are accessible
   • Adjust the wait_for_load_state timing if needed

3. If the repository won't clone:

   • Verify Git is installed and accessible
   • Check internet connection
   • Ensure you have access to the repository

Notes

• The script creates temporary files during processing
• Large documentation sets may take several minutes to process
• Memory usage depends on the size of the documentation
• The script requires active internet connection for repository cloning and image processing

CSS Recommendations

Your styles.css should include at least these basic styles for proper PDF formatting:

body {
    font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
    line-height: 1.6;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 20px;
}

.master-container {
    display: flex;
    justify-content: center;
    align-items: center;
    min-height: 100vh;
}

.container {
    text-align: center;
}

.title {
    font-size: 24px;
    font-weight: bold;
    margin-bottom: 20px;
}

.date {
    font-size: 16px;
}

.page-break {
    page-break-after: always;
}

code {
    background-color: #f4f4f4;
    padding: 2px 4px;
    border-radius: 4px;
}

pre {
    background-color: #f8f8f8;
    padding: 15px;
    border-radius: 5px;
    overflow-x: auto;
}

.code-header {
    background-color: #e0e0e0;
    padding: 5px 10px;
    border-radius: 5px 5px 0 0;
}

table {
    border-collapse: collapse;
    width: 100%;
    margin: 15px 0;
}

th, td {
    border: 1px solid #ddd;
    padding: 8px;
    text-align: left;
}

th {
    background-color: #f5f5f5;
}