Convert RST to INI

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RST vs INI Format Comparison

Aspect	RST (Source Format)	INI (Target Format)
Format Overview	RST reStructuredText Lightweight markup language developed by the Python community in 2001. Primary format for Python documentation, Sphinx, and Read the Docs. Emphasizes simplicity and readability with explicit, consistent syntax for technical documentation. Python Standard Sphinx Native	INI Initialization File Format Simple configuration file format originating from MS-DOS and Windows. Uses sections in brackets and key=value pairs. Human-readable and easy to edit manually. Widely used for application configuration across platforms. Configuration Standard Human Readable
Technical Specifications	Structure: Plain text with indentation-based syntax Encoding: UTF-8 Format: Docutils markup language Processor: Sphinx, Docutils, Pandoc Extensions: .rst, .rest, .txt	Structure: Sections and key-value pairs Encoding: ASCII, UTF-8 Format: Section-based configuration Delimiter: = or : for values Extensions: .ini, .cfg, .conf
Syntax Comparison	RST documentation structure: Configuration Guide =================== Database Settings ----------------- host The database server hostname. Default: localhost port The database port number. Default: 5432 Server Settings --------------- timeout Connection timeout in seconds. Default: 30	INI configuration file: ; Configuration Guide [Database Settings] ; The database server hostname host = localhost ; The database port number port = 5432 [Server Settings] ; Connection timeout in seconds timeout = 30
Content Support	Headers with underline characters Inline markup (bold, italic, code) Directives (code-block, note, warning) Cross-references and citations Tables (grid and simple) Autodoc for Python code Math formulas (LaTeX) Sphinx extensions ecosystem	Section headers [name] Key-value pairs (key=value) Comments (# or ;) String values Numeric values Boolean values Multi-line values (with continuation) Interpolation (some parsers)
Advantages	Python documentation standard Sphinx integration (Read the Docs) Autodoc for API documentation Large Python ecosystem Consistent, strict syntax Mature tooling	Extremely simple syntax Easy to read and edit Universal parser support No special tools needed Lightweight files Native Python configparser Cross-platform compatible
Disadvantages	Strict indentation requirements Complex directive syntax Limited outside Python ecosystem Steeper learning curve Not a configuration format	No nested structures Limited data types No standard specification No arrays/lists No schema validation
Common Uses	Python documentation Sphinx projects Read the Docs hosting API documentation Technical specifications	Application configuration Windows system settings PHP configuration (php.ini) Git configuration (.gitconfig) Python setup (setup.cfg) Desktop entries (Linux)
Best For	Python projects Sphinx-based documentation API reference docs Read the Docs publishing	Simple configuration files User-editable settings Cross-platform apps Quick setup files
Version History	Introduced: 2001 (David Goodger) Maintained by: Docutils project Status: Stable, actively maintained Primary Tool: Sphinx (2008+)	Origin: MS-DOS era (1980s) Windows Usage: Windows 3.1 onwards Status: Widely used, no formal spec Python: configparser module
Tool Support	Sphinx: Native support Docutils: Reference implementation Pandoc: Full support IDEs: PyCharm, VS Code (extensions)	Python: configparser (built-in) Node.js: ini package Java: java.util.Properties IDEs: All editors with syntax highlight

Why Convert RST to INI?

Converting reStructuredText (RST) documentation to INI format extracts configuration-related information into a format that applications can directly consume. This bridges the gap between human-readable documentation and machine-readable configuration.

When you document configuration options in RST for Sphinx documentation, converting to INI creates reference configuration files. These serve as templates, defaults, or examples that users can directly copy and modify for their own deployments.

INI is one of the simplest configuration formats, supported by virtually every programming language and platform. Python's built-in configparser module, PHP's parse_ini_file(), and countless libraries in other languages make INI files universally accessible.

The conversion is particularly useful for generating setup.cfg files for Python packages, configuration templates for applications, or extracting structured data from documentation. The section headers in RST naturally map to INI sections.

Key Benefits of Converting RST to INI:

Config Generation: Create configuration templates from documentation
Universal Format: Read by virtually all programming languages
Human Editable: Simple format users can modify easily
Python Integration: Native configparser support
Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, Linux, macOS
Documentation Sync: Keep docs and config in sync
Lightweight: Minimal overhead, fast parsing

Practical Examples

Example 1: Application Config Documentation

Input RST file (config_guide.rst):

Configuration Reference
=======================

General Settings
----------------

app_name
    Application display name.
    Default: MyApp

debug
    Enable debug mode.
    Default: false

Database
--------

host
    Database hostname.
    Default: localhost

port
    Database port.
    Default: 5432

Output INI file (config.ini):

; Configuration Reference

[General Settings]
; Application display name
app_name = MyApp

; Enable debug mode
debug = false

[Database]
; Database hostname
host = localhost

; Database port
port = 5432

Example 2: Python Package Setup

Input RST file (package_config.rst):

Package Configuration
=====================

metadata
--------

name
    Package name: mypackage

version
    Current version: 1.0.0

author
    Author name: John Doe

options
-------

packages
    find:

python_requires
    >=3.8

Output setup.cfg:

[metadata]
name = mypackage
version = 1.0.0
author = John Doe

[options]
packages = find:
python_requires = >=3.8

Example 3: User Configuration Template

Use Case: Generate default configuration files from RST documentation.

Workflow:
1. Write configuration docs in RST
2. Convert to INI to generate config.ini.example
3. Users copy and customize the file
4. Documentation and config stay in sync

Benefits:
- Single source of truth
- Always up-to-date examples
- Self-documenting configuration
- Easy default generation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is INI format?

A: INI is a simple configuration file format using sections in [brackets] and key=value pairs. It originated from MS-DOS and Windows but is now used across all platforms. Common examples include php.ini, .gitconfig, and setup.cfg.

Q: How are RST sections mapped to INI?

A: RST headers become INI sections (in brackets). Definition lists or structured content under headers become key=value pairs. Comments from RST are preserved as INI comments using semicolon (;) or hash (#) prefix.

Q: Can INI files handle complex data structures?

A: INI is designed for simple key-value pairs and doesn't natively support nested structures, arrays, or complex data types. For complex configurations, consider JSON or YAML. INI is best for flat configuration with sections.

Q: How do I read INI files in Python?

A: Python's built-in configparser module reads INI files: `import configparser; config = configparser.ConfigParser(); config.read('config.ini')`. Access values with `config['section']['key']`.

Q: Are INI comments preserved?

A: Yes, descriptive text from RST is converted to INI comments. Comments in INI files start with ; or # and help document what each setting does. This makes generated INI files self-documenting.

Q: What's the difference between INI, CFG, and CONF?

A: These extensions (.ini, .cfg, .conf) often use the same format - they're just different naming conventions. .ini is traditional Windows, .cfg is common for Python (setup.cfg), and .conf is often used on Unix systems.

Q: Can I convert INI back to RST?

A: While possible, INI contains less information than RST documentation. You can create basic RST from INI sections and values, but detailed descriptions, examples, and formatting from the original RST would be lost.

Q: How are boolean values handled?

A: INI doesn't have a formal boolean type. Values like true, false, yes, no, on, off, 1, 0 are commonly used and interpreted by parsers. Python's configparser has getboolean() method for reading these values.