https://github.com/tenjininc/ghostwriter
A Ruby gem that rewrites HTML as plain text while preserving as much legibility and functionality as possible.
https://github.com/tenjininc/ghostwriter
email html plaintext ruby
Last synced: 7 months ago
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A Ruby gem that rewrites HTML as plain text while preserving as much legibility and functionality as possible.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/tenjininc/ghostwriter
- Owner: TenjinInc
- License: mit
- Created: 2015-12-17T01:18:14.000Z (over 10 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2025-01-08T19:55:47.000Z (over 1 year ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-07-09T13:29:46.279Z (10 months ago)
- Topics: email, html, plaintext, ruby
- Language: Ruby
- Homepage: https://github.com/TenjinInc/ghostwriter
- Size: 87.9 KB
- Stars: 2
- Watchers: 4
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 2
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE.txt
- Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Ghostwriter
A ruby gem that converts HTML to plain text, preserving as much legibility and functionality as possible.
It's sort of like a reverse-markdown or a *very* simple screen reader.
## But Why, Though?
* Some email clients won't or can’t offer HTML support.
* Some people explicitly choose plaintext for accessibility or just plain preference.
* Spam filters tend to prefer emails with a plain text alternative (but if you use this gem to spam people,
not only might you be
[breaking](https://fightspam.gc.ca)
[various](https://gdpr.eu/)
[laws](https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business),
I will also personally curse you)
## Installation
Add this line to your application's Gemfile:
```ruby
gem 'ghostwriter'
```
And then execute:
bundle
Or install it manually with:
gem install ghostwriter
## Usage
Create a `Ghostwriter::Writer` and call `#textify` with the html string you want modified:
```ruby
html = <<~HTML
This is some text with a link
It handles other stuff, too.
Stuff Like
- Images
- Lists
- Tables
- And more
HTML
ghostwriter = Ghostwriter::Writer.new
puts ghostwriter.textify(html)
```
Produces:
```
This is some text with a link (tenjin.ca)
It handles other stuff, too.
----------
-- Stuff Like --
- Images
- Lists
- Tables
- And more
```
### Links
Links are converted to the link text followed by the link target in brackets:
```html
Visit our Website
```
Becomes:
```
Visit our Website (https://example.com)
```
#### Relative Links
Since emails are wholly distinct from your web address, relative links might break.
To avoid this problem, either use the `` header tag:
```html
Use the base tag to expand links.
```
Becomes:
```
Use the base tag to expand (https://www.example.com/contact) links.
```
Or you can use the `link_base` configuration:
```ruby
Ghostwriter::Writer.new(link_base: 'tenjin.ca').textify(html)
```
### Images
Images with alt text are converted:
```html
```
Becomes:
```
ACME Anvils (logo.jpg)
```
But images lacking alt text or with a presentation ARIA role are ignored:
```html
```
And images with data URIs won't include the data portion.
```html
```
Becomes:
```
Data picture (embedded)
```
### Paragraphs and Linebreaks
Paragraphs are padded with a newline at the end. Line break tags add an empty line.
```html
I would like to propose a toast.
This meal we enjoy together would be improved by one.
... Plug in the toaster and I'll get the bread.
```
```
I would like to propose a toast.
This meal we enjoy together would be improved by one.
... Plug in the toaster and I'll get the bread.
```
### Headings
Headings are wrapped with a marker per heading level:
```html
Dog Maintenance and Repair
Food Input Port
Exhaust Port Considerations
```
Becomes:
```
-- Dog Maintenance and Repair --
---- Food Input Port ----
------ Exhaust Port Considerations ------
```
The `` tag is treated like an `
` tag.
### Lists
Lists are converted, too. They are padded with newlines and are given simple markers:
```html
- Planes
- Trains
- Automobiles
- I get knocked down
- I get up again
- Never gonna keep me down
```
Becomes:
```
- Planes
- Trains
- Automobiles
1. I get knocked down
2. I get up again
3. Never gonna keep me down
```
### Tables
Tables are still often used in email structuring because support for more modern HTML and CSS is inconsistent. If your
table is purely presentational, mark it with `role="presentation"`. See below for details.
For real data tables, Ghostwriter tries to maintain table structure for simple tables:
```html
Ship
Captain
Enterprise
Jean-Luc Picard
TARDIS
The Doctor
Planet Express Ship
Turanga Leela
```
Becomes:
```
| Ship | Captain |
|---------------------|-----------------|
| Enterprise | Jean-Luc Picard |
| TARDIS | The Doctor |
| Planet Express Ship | Turanga Leela |
```
### Customizing Output
Ghostwriter has some constructor options to customize output.
You can set heading markers.
```ruby
html = <<~HTML
Emergency Cat Procedures
HTML
writer = Ghostwriter::Writer.new(heading_marker: '#')
puts writer.textify(html)
```
Produces:
```
# Emergency Cat Procedures #
```
You can also set list item markers. Ordered markers can be anything that responds to `#next` (eg. any `Enumerator`)
```ruby
html = <<~HTML
- Mercury
- Venus
- Mars
- Teapot
- Kettle
HTML
writer = Ghostwriter::Writer.new(ul_marker: '*', ol_marker: 'a')
puts writer.textify(html)
```
Produces:
```
a. Mercury
b. Venus
c. Mars
* Teapot
* Kettle
```
And tables can be customized:
```ruby
writer = Ghostwriter::Writer.new(table_row: '.',
table_column: '#',
table_corner: '+')
puts writer.textify <<~HTML
MoonPortfolio
PhobosFear & Panic
DeimosDread and Terror
HTML
```
Produces:
```
# Moon # Portfolio #
+........+..................+
# Phobos # Fear & Panic #
# Deimos # Dread and Terror #
```
#### Presentation ARIA Role
Tags with `role="presentation"` will be treated as a simple container and the normal behaviour will be suppressed.
```html
The table is a lie
- No such list
```
Becomes:
```
The table is a lie
No such list
```
### Mail Gem Example
To use `#textify` with the [mail](https://github.com/mikel/mail) gem, just provide the text-part by pasisng the html
through Ghostwriter:
```ruby
require 'mail'
html = 'My email and a link'
ghostwriter = Ghostwriter::Writer.new
Mail.deliver do
to 'bob@example.com'
from 'dot@example.com'
subject 'Using Ghostwriter with Mail'
html_part do
content_type 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
body html
end
text_part do
body ghostwriter.textify(html)
end
end
```
## Contributing
Bug reports and pull requests are welcome on GitHub at https://github.com/TenjinInc/ghostwriter
This project is intended to be a friendly space for collaboration, and contributors are expected to adhere to the
[Contributor Covenant](contributor-covenant.org) code of conduct.
### Core Developers
After checking out the repo, run `bundle install` to install dependencies. Then, run `rake spec` to run the tests. You
can also run `bin/console` for an interactive prompt that will allow you to experiment.
#### Local Install
To install this gem onto your local machine only, run
`bundle exec rake install`
#### Gem Release
To release a gem to the world at large
1. Update the version number in `version.rb`,
2. Run `bundle exec rake release`, which will create a git tag for the version, push git commits and tags, and push
the `.gem` file to [rubygems.org](https://rubygems.org).
3. Do a wee dance
## License
The gem is available as open source under the terms of the [MIT License](http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).