Convert Wiki to Textile

Why Convert Wiki to Textile?

Converting Wiki markup to Textile format is valuable when migrating content from a MediaWiki-based platform to systems that use Textile as their native markup language. Redmine, one of the most popular open-source project management tools, uses Textile for its wiki pages and issue descriptions, making this conversion essential when transferring wiki knowledge bases into Redmine projects.

Wiki and Textile share the fundamental concept of being lightweight markup languages that produce formatted HTML, but they differ significantly in syntax. Wiki uses == for headings, ''' for bold, and [[ ]] for links, while Textile uses h2. for headings, * for bold, and a quoted link syntax. The conversion maps each wiki construct to its closest Textile equivalent, preserving the document structure and formatting while adapting to the target syntax.

Textile offers some capabilities that wiki markup does not natively support, such as inline CSS class and style attributes, which allow precise control over HTML output. This makes Textile well-suited for web publishing scenarios where visual presentation matters. After conversion, you can enhance the Textile output with CSS styling that would not have been possible in the original wiki format.

The Textile markup language, created by Dean Allen in 2002, generates clean, well-formed XHTML from simple text notation. While its popularity has been somewhat eclipsed by Markdown in recent years, Textile remains firmly embedded in the Redmine ecosystem and continues to be used in Textpattern CMS and various Ruby on Rails applications. Converting wiki content to Textile ensures compatibility with these platforms and their associated workflows.

Key Benefits of Converting Wiki to Textile:

• Redmine Compatibility: Use wiki content directly in Redmine projects
• CSS Styling: Add inline CSS classes and styles to content
• Clean XHTML: Textile produces well-formed, valid XHTML output
• Textpattern CMS: Publish content in Textpattern-based websites
• Ruby Integration: Use content in Ruby on Rails applications
• Concise Syntax: Textile markup is compact and easy to maintain
• Formatting Preservation: All major formatting elements carry over

Practical Examples

Example 1: Wiki Article to Textile

Input Wiki file (article.wiki):

== Project Overview ==
'''ProjectX''' is an [[open source]] tool for
''automated testing'' of web applications.

=== Features ===
* Cross-browser testing
* Parallel test execution
* [[CI/CD|Continuous integration]] support

[[Category:Testing]]

Output Textile file (article.textile):

h2. Project Overview

*ProjectX* is an open source tool for
_automated testing_ of web applications.

h3. Features

* Cross-browser testing
* Parallel test execution
* Continuous integration support

Example 2: Wiki Table to Textile Table

Input Wiki file (comparison.wiki):

== Server Comparison ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Server !! CPU !! RAM !! Storage
|-
| '''Production''' || 8 cores || 32 GB || 500 GB SSD
|-
| '''Staging''' || 4 cores || 16 GB || 250 GB SSD
|-
| '''Development''' || 2 cores || 8 GB || 100 GB SSD
|}

Output Textile file (comparison.textile):

h2. Server Comparison

|_. Server |_. CPU |_. RAM |_. Storage |
| *Production* | 8 cores | 32 GB | 500 GB SSD |
| *Staging* | 4 cores | 16 GB | 250 GB SSD |
| *Development* | 2 cores | 8 GB | 100 GB SSD |

Example 3: Wiki Documentation to Redmine Textile

Input Wiki file (setup.wiki):

=== Setup Instructions ===

# Clone the [[repository]]
# Install '''dependencies''' using npm install
# Copy .env.example to .env
# Run npm start

{{Note|Make sure Node.js 18+ is installed.}}

See also: [[Troubleshooting]], [[FAQ]]

Output Textile file (setup.textile):

h3. Setup Instructions

# Clone the repository
# Install *dependencies* using @npm install@
# Copy @.env.example@ to @.env@
# Run @npm start@

p(note). Make sure Node.js 18+ is installed.

See also: Troubleshooting, FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is Textile markup?

A: Textile is a lightweight markup language created by Dean Allen in 2002 that converts simple text notation into clean XHTML. It uses concise syntax like *bold*, _italic_, h2. for headings, and pipe-delimited tables. Textile is the default markup in Redmine, Textpattern CMS, and is supported by various Ruby on Rails applications.

Q: How does wiki bold/italic map to Textile?

A: Wiki uses triple apostrophes (''' ''') for bold and double apostrophes ('' '') for italic. In Textile, bold is indicated with asterisks (*bold*) and italic with underscores (_italic_). The conversion automatically translates between these notations, preserving all emphasis formatting in the output.

Q: Can I use the Textile output in Redmine?

A: Yes, the converted Textile output is fully compatible with Redmine's wiki pages, issue descriptions, and comments. Redmine uses Textile as its primary markup format, so you can paste the converted content directly into Redmine and it will render correctly with all headings, lists, tables, and formatting intact.

Q: How are wiki tables converted to Textile?

A: Wiki tables using {| |} syntax are converted to Textile's pipe-delimited table format. Header cells (!) become |_. cells, and regular cells (||) become | cells. The Textile table format is simpler and more readable than wiki table syntax, making the output easy to edit and maintain.

Q: What happens to wiki links in Textile?

A: Internal wiki links ([[Page Name]]) are converted to plain text references since Textile does not have an equivalent internal linking mechanism. External links are converted to Textile's link syntax ("link text":http://url). If the target platform (like Redmine) supports wiki links, you can manually add them using the platform's native syntax.

Q: Is Textile still actively used?

A: While Textile has been largely overshadowed by Markdown in new projects, it remains actively used in the Redmine ecosystem (one of the most popular open-source project management tools), Textpattern CMS, and existing Ruby on Rails applications. For these platforms, Textile is the standard markup format and continues to be well-supported.

Q: How are wiki code blocks handled in Textile?

A: Inline code marked with <code> tags in wiki is converted to Textile's @ inline code notation. Block-level code sections are wrapped in bc. (block code) or pre. (preformatted) blocks in Textile. Both formats preserve the code content without any formatting interpretation.

Q: Can Textile handle CSS styling from wiki content?

A: Textile actually exceeds wiki markup in CSS support. While wiki relies on class="wikitable" and similar attributes, Textile allows inline CSS classes and styles on any element using parentheses for classes and curly braces for styles. After conversion, you can add CSS styling that was not possible in the original wiki source.