Convert Textile to ORG

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Textile vs ORG Format Comparison

Aspect	Textile (Source Format)	ORG (Target Format)
Format Overview	Textile Textile Markup Language Lightweight markup language created by Dean Allen in 2002. Used in Redmine project management and Textpattern CMS. Provides concise syntax for formatting with headings, links, lists, tables, and inline CSS styling capabilities. Markup Language Redmine Native	ORG Emacs Org-mode Format Plain text markup format used by Org-mode in GNU Emacs. Far more than a simple document format — Org-mode provides outlining, task management, time tracking, literate programming, and a powerful export system. It is the Swiss army knife of personal information management. Emacs Ecosystem Multi-Purpose
Technical Specifications	Structure: Plain text with markup notation Encoding: UTF-8 Format: Human-readable markup Compression: None Extensions: .textile, .txt	Structure: Outline-based plain text Encoding: UTF-8 Format: Human-readable outline markup Compression: None Extensions: .org
Syntax Examples	Textile markup syntax: h1. Project Documentation h2. Overview This is bold and _italic_ text. * First item * Second item # Step one # Step two "Link text":http://example.com bc. code block here	Org-mode equivalent: * Project Documentation ** Overview This is bold and /italic/ text. - First item - Second item 1. Step one 2. Step two [[http://example.com][Link text]] #+BEGIN_SRC code block here #+END_SRC
Content Support	Headings (h1. through h6.) Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough Ordered and unordered lists Tables with alignment Hyperlinks and images Block quotes and code blocks Inline CSS styles	Headings (* through ******) Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, code Nested lists (ordered and unordered) Tables with formulas Links with descriptions Source code blocks with language tags TODO items and task management Tags, properties, and drawers
Advantages	Concise and quick syntax Inline CSS class support Native Redmine integration Easy to learn Web-focused formatting Flexible table notation	Powerful outline folding in Emacs Built-in task and time management Literate programming support Export to PDF, HTML, LaTeX, and more Spreadsheet-like table calculations Extensive Emacs ecosystem integration
Disadvantages	Limited platform support Smaller community No task management features No export system Declining adoption	Best experience requires Emacs Steep learning curve for Emacs Limited outside Emacs ecosystem Complex for simple document needs Niche audience
Common Uses	Redmine wikis and issues Textpattern CMS content Project documentation Web content authoring Knowledge bases	Personal knowledge management Task and project planning Research notes and papers Literate programming Meeting notes with action items Technical documentation
Best For	Redmine-based projects Web content creation Quick formatted text CMS content management	Emacs power users Researchers and academics GTD practitioners Literate programmers
Version History	Introduced: 2002 (Dean Allen) Current Version: Textile 2 Status: Stable, maintained Evolution: Adopted by Redmine, Textpattern	Introduced: 2003 (Carsten Dominik) Current Version: Org 9.x Status: Active, continuously developed Evolution: Part of GNU Emacs since 2006
Software Support	Redmine: Native support Textpattern: Native support Pandoc: Full conversion support Other: Ruby, PHP, Python libraries	GNU Emacs: Native support (Org-mode) Vim: vim-orgmode plugin VS Code: Org Mode extension Pandoc: Full conversion support

Why Convert Textile to ORG?

Converting Textile markup to Org-mode format enables Emacs users to import content from Redmine and other Textile-based platforms into their personal knowledge management system. Org-mode is one of the most powerful document and task management systems available, offering outlining, task tracking, time management, and literate programming — all from within GNU Emacs.

While Textile excels at web content formatting, Org-mode provides a much richer environment for organizing and working with information. Once your Textile content is converted to Org format, you gain access to Org-mode's powerful features: outline folding for navigating large documents, TODO states for task management, time tracking for productivity, and a versatile export system that can produce PDF, HTML, LaTeX, and many other formats.

The conversion maps Textile elements to their Org-mode equivalents: Textile headings (h1., h2.) become Org headings (* , **), bold and italic formatting is translated, lists are properly converted, links use Org's bracket syntax, and code blocks become Org source blocks with language tagging support.

This conversion is particularly valuable for developers and researchers who use Emacs as their primary editor and want to consolidate documentation from Redmine projects into their Org-mode-based workflow. It bridges the gap between web-based project management and local knowledge management.

Key Benefits of Converting Textile to ORG:

Emacs Integration: Use converted content directly in Emacs Org-mode
Outline Navigation: Fold and unfold sections for easy document navigation
Task Management: Add TODO states to converted headings for project tracking
Export Flexibility: Export to PDF, HTML, LaTeX, Beamer slides, and more
Literate Programming: Add executable code blocks to documentation
Table Calculations: Use spreadsheet formulas in Org tables
Knowledge Base: Build a personal wiki from Redmine content

Practical Examples

Example 1: Project Wiki to Org Notes

Input Textile file (wiki.textile):

h1. Backend API Documentation

h2. Authentication

All API requests require *Bearer token*
authentication. Tokens expire after _24 hours_.

h2. Endpoints

h3. User Management

* GET @/api/users@ - List all users
* POST @/api/users@ - Create new user
* DELETE @/api/users/:id@ - Remove user

h3. Data Export

# Call the export endpoint
# Wait for async processing
# Download the result file

Output ORG file (wiki.org):

* Backend API Documentation

** Authentication

All API requests require *Bearer token*
authentication. Tokens expire after /24 hours/.

** Endpoints

*** User Management

- GET ~/api/users~ - List all users
- POST ~/api/users~ - Create new user
- DELETE ~/api/users/:id~ - Remove user

*** Data Export

1. Call the export endpoint
2. Wait for async processing
3. Download the result file

Example 2: Meeting Notes with Links

Input Textile file (meeting.textile):

h2. Sprint Review - March 2026

*Attendees:* Alice, Bob, Charlie

h3. Completed Items

* Feature: User dashboard
* Bugfix: Login timeout issue
* Docs: "API guide":http://docs.example.com

h3. Action Items

* Alice: Deploy to staging
* Bob: Review "PR #42":http://github.com/pr/42
* Charlie: Update test suite

bq. Next sprint starts March 16th.

Output ORG file (meeting.org):

** Sprint Review - March 2026

*Attendees:* Alice, Bob, Charlie

*** Completed Items

- Feature: User dashboard
- Bugfix: Login timeout issue
- Docs: [[http://docs.example.com][API guide]]

*** Action Items

- Alice: Deploy to staging
- Bob: Review [[http://github.com/pr/42][PR #42]]
- Charlie: Update test suite

#+BEGIN_QUOTE
Next sprint starts March 16th.
#+END_QUOTE

Example 3: Technical Specification

Input Textile file (spec.textile):

h1. Database Schema

h2. Tables

|_. Table |_. Rows |_. Size |
| users | 50,000 | 12 MB |
| orders | 200,000 | 45 MB |
| products | 5,000 | 2 MB |

h2. Indexes

Performance-critical indexes:

bc. CREATE INDEX idx_users_email
  ON users(email);
CREATE INDEX idx_orders_date
  ON orders(created_at);

Output ORG file (spec.org):

* Database Schema

** Tables

| Table    | Rows    | Size  |
|----------+---------+-------|
| users    | 50,000  | 12 MB |
| orders   | 200,000 | 45 MB |
| products | 5,000   | 2 MB  |

** Indexes

Performance-critical indexes:

#+BEGIN_SRC sql
CREATE INDEX idx_users_email
  ON users(email);
CREATE INDEX idx_orders_date
  ON orders(created_at);
#+END_SRC

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is Org-mode?

A: Org-mode is a major mode for GNU Emacs that provides an incredibly versatile plain text system for note-taking, task management, project planning, literate programming, and document authoring. Created by Carsten Dominik in 2003 and included in GNU Emacs since 2006, it has become one of the most powerful personal information management tools available.

Q: Do I need Emacs to use ORG files?

A: While Emacs provides the best Org-mode experience with full feature support, ORG files are plain text and can be read in any text editor. Additionally, vim has the vim-orgmode plugin, VS Code has Org Mode extensions, and there are mobile apps like Orgzly (Android) and beorg (iOS) for working with ORG files.

Q: How are Textile headings mapped to Org headings?

A: Textile headings use "h1.", "h2.", etc., while Org uses asterisks: one * for level 1, two ** for level 2, and so on. The conversion maintains the heading hierarchy exactly: h1. becomes *, h2. becomes **, h3. becomes ***, preserving the document structure.

Q: Can I add TODO states to converted headings?

A: Yes! Once converted to Org format, you can add TODO keywords to any heading. For example, "** Action Items" can become "** TODO Action Items" in Emacs. This is one of the key benefits of converting to Org — you can turn documentation into actionable task lists.

Q: Are Textile code blocks converted to Org source blocks?

A: Yes, Textile code blocks (bc. or pre) are converted to Org source blocks using #+BEGIN_SRC and #+END_SRC tags. If the programming language can be detected, it is added to the source block header for syntax highlighting in Emacs. This also enables literate programming features.

Q: How are Textile tables handled in Org format?

A: Textile tables are converted to Org tables using pipe-separated columns with horizontal rules. Org tables in Emacs support automatic alignment, column resizing, and even spreadsheet-like calculations — features that go far beyond Textile's table capabilities.

Q: Can I export converted ORG files to other formats?

A: Yes, one of Org-mode's greatest strengths is its export system. From your converted .org file, you can export to PDF (via LaTeX), HTML, Markdown, DocBook, ODT, plain text, Beamer slides, and many other formats using Org's built-in exporters. This makes Org an excellent intermediate format.

Q: Is Org-mode suitable for large documentation projects?

A: Absolutely! Org-mode excels at managing large documents through its outline folding capability — you can collapse and expand sections to focus on the content you're working on. For very large projects, Org supports including other .org files, enabling modular documentation structures.