Convert ADOC to INI

Why Convert ADOC to INI?

Converting AsciiDoc documents to INI format is useful when you need to extract structured data from documentation and transform it into configuration files. This conversion is particularly valuable when documentation contains settings, parameters, or key-value data that needs to be used by applications or systems that read INI configuration files.

AsciiDoc is a powerful markup language designed for creating documentation with rich formatting, sections, and semantic structure. When your AsciiDoc document contains configuration-like data organized in sections with attributes or definition lists, converting to INI format makes this data directly usable by applications. The hierarchical structure of AsciiDoc sections maps naturally to INI sections.

INI files have been a standard configuration format since the early days of Windows and remain widely used due to their simplicity. They are supported natively by Windows, PHP, Python, and countless other platforms and programming languages. Converting documentation to INI format enables automation, configuration management, and integration with legacy systems.

This conversion is particularly useful for DevOps workflows, where documentation about system settings needs to be transformed into actual configuration files. It's also valuable for generating application settings from structured documentation or creating configuration templates from specification documents.

Key Benefits of Converting ADOC to INI:

• Configuration Generation: Create usable config files from documentation
• Legacy System Support: Generate files for systems requiring INI format
• Automation Ready: Produce machine-readable configuration from docs
• Simple Format: INI is easy to edit and understand
• Wide Compatibility: Works with Windows, PHP, Python, and more
• Documentation to Config: Bridge the gap between docs and settings
• DevOps Integration: Fits into configuration management workflows

Practical Examples

Example 1: Application Settings Documentation

Input AsciiDoc file (settings.adoc):

= Application Configuration
:author: DevOps Team

== Database Settings

host:: localhost
port:: 5432
name:: myapp_db
user:: admin

== Server Settings

bind_address:: 0.0.0.0
port:: 8080
debug:: false

Output INI file (settings.ini):

[database]
host = localhost
port = 5432
name = myapp_db
user = admin

[server]
bind_address = 0.0.0.0
port = 8080
debug = false

Example 2: Game Configuration Documentation

Input AsciiDoc file (game-config.adoc):

= Game Configuration Guide

== Graphics

resolution:: 1920x1080
fullscreen:: true
vsync:: enabled
quality:: high

== Audio

master_volume:: 80
music_volume:: 70
effects_volume:: 90

Output INI file (game-config.ini):

[graphics]
resolution = 1920x1080
fullscreen = true
vsync = enabled
quality = high

[audio]
master_volume = 80
music_volume = 70
effects_volume = 90

Example 3: PHP Application Configuration

Input AsciiDoc file (php-config.adoc):

= PHP Configuration Reference

== PHP Settings

memory_limit:: 256M
max_execution_time:: 30
display_errors:: Off
upload_max_filesize:: 50M

== Session

session.save_handler:: files
session.gc_maxlifetime:: 1440

Output INI file (php-config.ini):

[php]
memory_limit = 256M
max_execution_time = 30
display_errors = Off
upload_max_filesize = 50M

[session]
session.save_handler = files
session.gc_maxlifetime = 1440

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is AsciiDoc (ADOC) format?

A: AsciiDoc is a lightweight markup language for writing documentation, articles, and books. It uses plain text with simple formatting syntax that can be converted to HTML, PDF, DocBook, and other formats. AsciiDoc files typically use .adoc, .asciidoc, or .asc extensions. It's popular for technical documentation due to its powerful features like includes, cross-references, and conditional content.

Q: What is INI format used for?

A: INI (Initialization) files are configuration files that store settings in a simple key=value format organized into sections. They've been used since MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 for application settings. Common examples include php.ini, my.ini (MySQL), and desktop.ini (Windows). Despite being a legacy format, INI remains popular due to its simplicity and wide support.

Q: How does the conversion process work?

A: The converter analyzes the AsciiDoc document structure, identifying sections (headings) and key-value content (definition lists, attributes). Sections become INI section headers [section_name], and structured content becomes key=value pairs. Text formatting and complex elements are simplified to plain text suitable for INI format.

Q: Will all AsciiDoc content be preserved?

A: INI format is much simpler than AsciiDoc, so not all content translates directly. Rich formatting (bold, italic), images, tables, and complex structures will be converted to plain text or simplified. The conversion focuses on extracting structured data like sections and key-value pairs. For best results, use AsciiDoc documents with clear section headings and definition list structures.

Q: Can I use the INI file in my application?

A: Yes! The generated INI file is standard format and can be read by Windows APIs, Python's configparser, PHP's parse_ini_file(), and virtually any programming language with INI support. You may need to review and adjust the output to match your application's expected configuration schema.

Q: How are AsciiDoc sections mapped to INI sections?

A: AsciiDoc headings (== Section Title) are converted to INI section headers ([section_title]). The section name is typically normalized (lowercase, spaces replaced with underscores) to follow INI conventions. Nested sections may be flattened or use dot notation depending on the converter settings.

Q: What happens to AsciiDoc attributes?

A: AsciiDoc document attributes (defined with :attribute: value) are converted to INI key-value pairs. They may be placed in a [document] or [attributes] section at the beginning of the INI file, preserving the metadata from your original document.

Q: Are there alternatives to INI for configuration?

A: Yes, modern alternatives include TOML (Tom's Obvious Minimal Language), YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language), and JSON. These formats support more complex data structures like nested objects and arrays. However, INI remains valuable for simplicity, legacy system compatibility, and when you need human-editable configuration files.