Convert Textile to BBCode

Why Convert Textile to BBCode?

Converting Textile markup to BBCode is essential when you need to post formatted content on internet forums and bulletin board systems. BBCode is the universal formatting language of online communities, supported by phpBB, vBulletin, XenForo, SMF, and countless other forum platforms where Textile markup is not recognized.

Textile and BBCode serve similar purposes -- formatting text for web display -- but in completely different environments. Textile is designed for CMS and project management tools like Redmine, while BBCode was created specifically for forum software. Converting between them lets you repurpose content written in Textile for community forums and discussion boards.

BBCode uses a tag-based syntax with square brackets that is deliberately similar to HTML but restricted to prevent security vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS). Common tags include [b]bold[/b], [i]italic[/i], [url]link[/url], [img]image[/img], and [quote]quoted text[/quote]. Forum platforms parse these tags safely while displaying rich formatted content.

The conversion maps Textile's concise notation to BBCode's explicit tags. For example, Textile's *bold* becomes [b]bold[/b], _italic_ becomes [i]italic[/i], and "link text":url becomes [url=url]link text[/url]. Tables, lists, and code blocks are similarly translated to their BBCode equivalents where supported.

Key Benefits of Converting Textile to BBCode:

• Forum Compatibility: Post formatted content on phpBB, vBulletin, XenForo, and other forums
• Universal Support: BBCode works on virtually every internet forum platform
• Safe Formatting: BBCode prevents XSS attacks while allowing rich text
• Color and Size: BBCode offers font color and size control unavailable in Textile
• Community Content: Share Redmine documentation on community forums
• Easy Migration: Move content from Textile-based systems to forum platforms
• Rich Features: Access to spoiler tags, video embedding, and forum-specific features

Practical Examples

Example 1: Basic Text Formatting

Input Textile file (post.textile):

h1. Announcement: New Version Released

We are happy to announce *version 3.0* of our software!

Key changes:
* _Improved_ performance
* *New* user interface
* -Removed- legacy features

bq. "This is a game changer!" - User Review

Output BBCode file (post.bbcode):

[size=200][b]Announcement: New Version Released[/b][/size]

We are happy to announce [b]version 3.0[/b] of our software!

Key changes:
[list]
[*][i]Improved[/i] performance
[*][b]New[/b] user interface
[*][s]Removed[/s] legacy features
[/list]

[quote]"This is a game changer!" - User Review[/quote]

Example 2: Links and Images

Input Textile file (resources.textile):

h2. Useful Resources

Visit "our documentation":https://docs.example.com

Download the latest version from "here":https://example.com/download

!screenshot.png(Application Screenshot)!

Output BBCode file (resources.bbcode):

[size=150][b]Useful Resources[/b][/size]

Visit [url=https://docs.example.com]our documentation[/url]

Download the latest version from [url=https://example.com/download]here[/url]

[img]screenshot.png[/img]

Example 3: Code and Tables

Input Textile file (technical.textile):

h2. Installation

Run this command:

bc. pip install mypackage
mypackage --version

|_. OS |_. Command |
| Linux | apt install pkg |
| macOS | brew install pkg |

Output BBCode file (technical.bbcode):

[size=150][b]Installation[/b][/size]

Run this command:

[code]
pip install mypackage
mypackage --version
[/code]

[b]OS[/b] | [b]Command[/b]
Linux | apt install pkg
macOS | brew install pkg

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is BBCode?

A: BBCode (Bulletin Board Code) is a lightweight markup language used on internet forums and bulletin boards. It uses square bracket tags like [b]bold[/b], [i]italic[/i], and [url]link[/url] to format text. BBCode was designed as a safe alternative to HTML for user-generated content, preventing security vulnerabilities while allowing rich formatting.

Q: Which forums support BBCode?

A: Nearly all major forum platforms support BBCode, including phpBB, vBulletin, XenForo, Simple Machines Forum (SMF), MyBB, Invision Power Board (IPB), Discourse (with plugin), and Vanilla Forums. BBCode is the de facto standard for formatted content in online communities.

Q: Are Textile tables converted to BBCode tables?

A: Table support varies by BBCode implementation. Some forums support [table][tr][td] tags, while others do not. When table tags are not available, the converter produces a formatted text representation using pipes and alignment. Check your target forum's BBCode support for specific table tag availability.

Q: How are Textile headings represented in BBCode?

A: BBCode does not have a standard heading tag. Textile headings (h1, h2, etc.) are converted using [size] and [b] tags to simulate heading appearance. For example, h1 becomes [size=200][b]text[/b][/size] and h2 becomes [size=150][b]text[/b][/size], providing visual hierarchy in forum posts.

Q: Is BBCode standardized across all forums?

A: No, BBCode is not formally standardized. While core tags like [b], [i], [u], [url], [img], [code], and [quote] are nearly universal, advanced features vary by platform. Some forums add custom tags for spoilers, video embedding, colors, and special formatting. The conversion targets the most common BBCode tags.

Q: Can I convert BBCode back to Textile?

A: Yes, reverse conversion is possible. BBCode's explicit tag structure makes it straightforward to parse and convert to Textile notation. Tags like [b]text[/b] map to *text*, [i]text[/i] maps to _text_, and [url=link]text[/url] maps to "text":link. Our converter supports this reverse transformation as well.

Q: Does the conversion handle Textile's CSS classes?

A: Textile allows inline CSS classes like p(classname). which have no BBCode equivalent. During conversion, the class attributes are removed as BBCode provides its own styling through tags like [color], [size], and [font]. The text content is preserved, only the CSS class metadata is lost.

Q: How are Textile code blocks converted to BBCode?

A: Textile code blocks (bc. prefix or @inline code@) are converted to BBCode [code] tags. The bc. block becomes [code]...[/code] and inline @code@ becomes [code]code[/code] or [font=monospace]code[/font] depending on the context. Code formatting is preserved with monospace display in forum rendering.