Converting a document from Markdown to PDF format

This guide demonstrates how to convert Markdown files to PDF format using Nutrient Java SDK, preserving document structure and formatting.

Markdown is a supported import format in Nutrient Java SDK. You can load Markdown files similar to any other document format and convert them to PDF, render them as images, or display them in a viewer. The Markdown import support handles standard Markdown syntax including headers, lists, code blocks, tables, and inline formatting.

Preparing the project

Start by specifying a package name and create a new class for the conversion:

package io.nutrient.Sample;

Import the necessary classes from Nutrient Java SDK:

import io.nutrient.sdk.Document;
import io.nutrient.sdk.exceptions.NutrientException;

public class MarkdownToPDF {

Create the main function and specify that it can throw a NutrientException:

    public static void main(String[] args) throws NutrientException {

Loading and converting the Markdown document

Load the Markdown file using a try-with-resources(opens in a new tab) statement for proper resource management:

        try (Document document = Document.open("input.md")) {

The Document.open method automatically detects the format and parses the Markdown syntax. Once loaded, the document can be converted to PDF using the standard export method:

            document.exportAsPdf("output.pdf");
        }
    }
}

The exportAsPdf method renders the Markdown structure into formatted PDF content, applying styling to headers, lists, code blocks, and other elements while preserving document hierarchy.

Error handling

Nutrient Java SDK handles errors with exception handling. The methods presented in this guide throw a NutrientException in case of failure. This helps with troubleshooting and implementing error handling logic.

Conclusion

That’s all it takes to convert a Markdown file to PDF! Once loaded, Markdown documents can be converted to PDF, rendered as images, or processed using the complete range of SDK capabilities.