Convert ODT to Textile

Why Convert ODT to Textile?

Converting ODT documents to Textile markup enables direct use in Redmine, one of the most popular open-source project management tools. Textile is Redmine's native wiki format, used for wiki pages, issue descriptions, news, and comments. Converting your documentation to Textile integrates seamlessly with your development workflow.

Textile was created by Dean Allen in 2002 as a "humane web text generator." It's designed to be readable as plain text while converting to clean, semantic HTML. Unlike Markdown, Textile includes built-in support for footnotes, table headers, and CSS class attributes, making it more powerful for structured content.

For teams using Redmine for project management, converting ODT documentation to Textile means your content is immediately ready for the wiki. No more copying and reformatting - the converted Textile can be pasted directly into Redmine's text editor and will render correctly.

Textile is also used by Textpattern CMS and various Ruby on Rails applications through the RedCloth library. If you're working in the Ruby ecosystem or managing content on these platforms, Textile conversion provides a direct path from office documents to web content.

Key Benefits of Converting ODT to Textile:

• Redmine Ready: Native format for Redmine wikis and issues
• Rich Features: Footnotes, table headers, CSS classes built-in
• Semantic HTML: Generates clean, accessible web content
• Human Readable: Source text is easy to read and edit
• Version Control: Plain text works perfectly with Git
• Ruby Integration: RedCloth library for Rails apps
• Web Publishing: Direct use in Textpattern CMS

Practical Examples

Example 1: Redmine Wiki Page

Input ODT file (project-docs.odt):

Project Documentation

Overview
This document describes our project requirements.

Features:
• User authentication
• Dashboard widgets
• API integration

See the installation guide for setup instructions.

Output Textile file (project-docs.textile):

h1. Project Documentation

h2. Overview

This document describes our project requirements.

h2. Features

* User authentication
* Dashboard widgets
* API integration

See the [[Installation Guide]] for setup instructions.

✓ Ready for Redmine wiki
✓ Links to other wiki pages
✓ Proper heading hierarchy

Example 2: Issue Description with Formatting

Input ODT file (bug-report.odt):

Bug Report: Login Failure

Description
Users cannot login when password contains special characters.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Go to login page
2. Enter username: [email protected]
3. Enter password with special chars: P@ss!word#123
4. Click Login button

Expected: Successful login
Actual: Error message "Invalid credentials"

Output Textile file (bug-report.textile):

h2. Bug Report: Login Failure

h3. Description

Users cannot login when password contains special characters.

h3. Steps to Reproduce

# Go to login page
# Enter username: @[email protected]@
# Enter password with special chars: @P@ss!word#123@
# Click Login button

*Expected:* Successful login
*Actual:* Error message "Invalid credentials"

✓ Numbered list for steps
✓ Code formatting for values
✓ Bold for labels

Example 3: Technical Documentation with Table

Input ODT file (api-reference.odt):

API Reference

Endpoints:

| Method | Endpoint      | Description        |
|--------|---------------|--------------------|
| GET    | /api/users    | List all users     |
| POST   | /api/users    | Create new user    |
| DELETE | /api/users/id | Delete user by ID  |

Authentication required for all endpoints.

Output Textile file (api-reference.textile):

h1. API Reference

h2. Endpoints

|_. Method |_. Endpoint |_. Description |
| GET | @/api/users@ | List all users |
| POST | @/api/users@ | Create new user |
| DELETE | @/api/users/id@ | Delete user by ID |

p(important). Authentication required for all endpoints.

✓ Table headers with |_.
✓ Code formatting for endpoints
✓ CSS class for important note

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is Textile markup?

A: Textile is a lightweight markup language created by Dean Allen in 2002. It converts simple text patterns to HTML - for example, *bold* becomes <strong>bold</strong>. It's known for being human-readable while supporting advanced features like footnotes and CSS classes.

Q: How is Textile different from Markdown?

A: Textile has different syntax (*bold* vs **bold** in Markdown) and more built-in features: table headers (|_.), footnotes, CSS class/id attributes, and block-level formatting (bq. for blockquotes). Markdown is more widely adopted, but Textile is more powerful for structured content.

Q: Where is Textile commonly used?

A: Textile is primarily used in Redmine (project management), Textpattern (CMS), and Ruby on Rails applications via RedCloth. It's the default wiki format in Redmine, used for wiki pages, issue descriptions, news articles, and comments.

Q: Can I use Textile in GitHub or GitLab?

A: GitHub and GitLab use Markdown, not Textile. If you need content for these platforms, consider converting to Markdown instead. However, some project management tools integrated with Git (like Redmine) do support Textile.

Q: How do I add CSS classes in Textile?

A: Textile supports inline CSS classes and IDs. Use p(classname). for paragraphs, div(classname). for divs, or %(classname)inline text% for spans. Example: p(warning). This is a warning paragraph. This generates <p class="warning">.

Q: Will my ODT tables convert correctly?

A: Yes, tables are converted to Textile's table syntax with proper headers (|_.) and cells (|). Complex formatting like merged cells may be simplified, but standard tables convert accurately. You can edit the output to add alignment or styling.

Q: How do I preview Textile before publishing?

A: Redmine has a built-in preview button in its text editor. You can also use online Textile converters to preview HTML output. For local development, the RedCloth Ruby gem can convert Textile to HTML for testing.

Q: Is Textile still maintained?

A: Textile syntax is stable and unchanged. The RedCloth Ruby library is maintained for security updates. Redmine continues to support Textile as its primary wiki format. While less popular than Markdown, it remains a solid choice for Redmine users.