CHM to Markdown Converter

What is CHM to Markdown Converter?

A Python utility that converts Compiled HTML Help (.chm) files into clean Markdown. It uses a profile system—a generic profile works with any CHM file, and a revit profile is built for Autodesk Revit API documentation. Designed for developers and technical writers who need a reusable, offline conversion tool.

How to use CHM to Markdown Converter?

Install Python 3.10+ and 7-Zip (must be on PATH). Clone the repository, run pip install -r requirements.txt, place .chm files in the resources/ folder, then execute python chm_to_markdown.py. Use --single, --all, --profile, --preserve-structure, --keep-html, and concurrency tuning flags as needed.

Key features of CHM to Markdown Converter

• Profile-based conversion with generic or revit profiles
• Auto‑encoding detection via chardet (UTF-8, GB18030, GBK, GB2312, etc.)
• Cross‑platform 7‑Zip detection (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• Flexible CHM structure support (flat, nested, DirectX SDK style)
• Preserving code blocks with language detection (C#, VB, C++, F#, Python, etc.)
• Generating file_index.json, id_lookup.json, and index.md for AI integration

Use cases of CHM to Markdown Converter

• Converting Autodesk Revit API help files to searchable Markdown
• Extracting any CHM documentation into clean Markdown for version control
• Feeding converted files into a RAG or AI search pipeline
• Preserving folder hierarchy for deeply nested CHM structures (e.g., DirectX SDK)
• Batch converting multiple CHM files with consistent formatting

FAQ from CHM to Markdown Converter

How do I fix “7z not found”?

Install 7-Zip and ensure its executable is on your system PATH. For Windows, the installer adds it by default; on Linux, run sudo apt install p7zip-full; on macOS, use brew install p7zip.

Why is the output empty or no HTML files found?

The CHM may use a nested folder layout. Use the --preserve-structure flag to enable recursive traversal of internal directories.

How does the tool handle Chinese or non‑UTF‑8 text?

It automatically detects encoding using chardet, with fallbacks for GB18030, GBK, GB2312, and others. If issues persist, try the generic profile.

What are the system requirements?

Python 3.10 or higher, and 7-Zip available on the command line. No other runtime dependencies beyond the Python packages listed in requirements.txt.

Can I create a custom conversion profile?

Yes. Use the ConversionConfig dataclass from chm_converter.config to define classes, IDs, and cleanup patterns to remove, then pass it to process_chm_file in your own Python script.