JSON to Markdown Converter

This Python script converts a folder of .json files into Markdown .md files using a specified template.

I built it to convert Reddit post data into Obsidian-friendly Markdown files, but it's easily adaptable for any JSON source data.

🛠 Features

• Extracts Reddit post data from JSON and formats it into Markdown.
• Uses a template where {{token}} placeholders are replaced with actual values.
• Skips empty or removed posts.
• Avoids overwriting existing Markdown files.
• Cleans up unnecessary characters in post content.
• Truncates filenames to 50 characters while keeping words intact.
• Outputs a summary of processed, skipped, and converted files.
• Can include the original post and a saved or upvoted reply in the output.

📌 Usage

1️⃣ Install Python

Ensure Python 3 is installed on your system.

2️⃣ Prepare Your Files

• Place the .json files in a folder.
• Create a Markdown template for each file (template.md).
• Create a Markdown template for a post inside the file. (template.post.md).
• Prepare an output folder for the Markdown files.

3️⃣ Run the Script

Use the following command:

python json2md.py <json_folder> <md_folder> <file_template> <post_template>

Example

python json2md.py ./json_files ./markdown_output ./template.md ./template.post.md

4️⃣ Explanation of Parameters

Parameter	Description
<json_folder>	Path to the folder containing JSON files.
<md_folder>	Path to the folder where Markdown files go.
<file_template>	Path to the Markdown file template file.
<post_template>	Path to the Markdown post template file.

📝 Markdown Template Format

Your template file (template.md) should include placeholders like:

---
original post: {{op_permalink}}
saved post: {{saved_permalink}}
subreddit: {{subreddit}}
created: {{op_created}}
---
# {{title}}

{{op_body}}

{{saved_post}}

Your post template (template.post.md) should include placeholders like:

## Saved Comment

{{saved_body}}

[By {{saved_author}} on {{saved_created_time}}]({{saved_permalink}})

📊 Output Summary

After running, the script prints a summary:

📂 Total JSON files processed: 100
✅ Successfully converted: 85
⚠️ Skipped (existing files): 10
🚫 Skipped (empty or removed content): 5

📌 Notes

• If the script encounters unexpected JSON structures, it skips them.
• If <json_folder> contains non-JSON files, they are ignored.
• If <md_folder> doesn't exist, it will be created.