catslap 1.0.1

Catslap loads JSON input and applies it to document templates to generate final outputs

catslap

catslap is a Python library for automatic document generation from structured JSON data and parameterized templates. It can produce final documents in multiple formats by evaluating directives embedded directly in the templates.

Key features

• Document generation from an input JSON file.
• Support for multiple output formats:
  • Word
  • PowerPoint
  • Excel
  • Plain text
  • HTML
  • JavaScript
• Single or multiple templates:
  • A single file.
  • Multiple files packaged in a ZIP or contained in a directory.
• Ability to limit which template file extensions are processed.
• Expression and logic evaluation with Python semantics.
• Rendering of HTML embedded in JSON data for rich formats (Word and PowerPoint).

General concept

The catslap workflow is:

1. Provide a JSON file with input data.
2. Define one or more templates containing directives.
3. catslap evaluates the directives, accesses the data, and generates the final documents in the desired formats.

Accessing data from templates

JSON data is accessed through expressions delimited by {{ ... }}. Evaluation follows Python behavior as if the JSON were a dict, with the addition of dot-operator access.

Input JSON example

{
  "report_name": "My report",
  "report_data": {
    "name": "BBS Tennesy",
    "account": "0000123",
    "values": [43, 56, 991, 2]
  }
}

Data access examples

{{report_data.account}}
{{report_data.get('account')}}
{{report_data['account']}}

Be careful when using JSON names that match Python tokens to avoid evaluation issues. For example, if you use items inside a JSON object, you cannot access it with dot notation (e.g., data.items), but you can access it with data['items'] or data.get('items').

When a JSON value contains HTML code (starting with an HTML tag), it will be rendered in a rich format when the output document type supports it.

Template directives

Directives are defined using {% ... %} blocks, and each directive must occupy a full paragraph in the template.

Supported directive types

• Loops
• Conditions
• Configurations (format-dependent)

Loops

Allow iterating over JSON lists. Syntax:

{% for <name> in <list-expression> %}
...
{% endfor %}

Example:

{% for value in report_data.values %}
  {{value}}
{% endfor %}

Conditions

Allow conditional execution of content blocks. The condition is evaluated as a Python expression.

{% if report_data.account %}
  Valid account
{% else %}
  Undefined account
{% endif %}

Style configurations (Word and PowerPoint)

For Word and PowerPoint documents, catslap allows defining how HTML found in JSON data is rendered through style directives. The style directive format is:

{% style <keyword>=<style_name> %}

<keyword> are predefined catslap styles corresponding to HTML styles. <style_name> is the name of the style to use from the styles defined in the Word or PowerPoint template document.

Style configuration example

{% style heading=Heading 1 %}
{% style table_cell=Normal cell %}
{% style table_header=Header cell %}
{% style table_header_bgcolor=#FF0000 %}
{% style table_cell_bgcolor=white %}
{% style table_cell_bgcolor2=#E8E8E8 %}
{% style table_caption=Table caption %}
{% style code=Code %}
{% style codeblock=Codeblock %}
{% style token=Token %}
{% style link_title=LinkTitle %}
{% style link_url=LinkUrl %}
{% style quote=Highlighted quote %}

Supported styles

• heading Defines the style for HTML headings (<H1> to <H6>). If a single style is defined, successive styles are automatically generated with prefixes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. By default, the styles are already defined as "Heading1", ..., "Heading6".

• style_paragraph Defines the style for HTML paragraphs <P>. By default, the "Normal" style is used.

• style_list_bullet Defines the style for HTML unordered lists <UL>. If a single style is defined, successive styles are automatically generated with prefixes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 for successive list indentations. By default, the styles are already defined as "Bullet List1", ..., "Bullet List6".

• style_list_number Defines the style for HTML ordered lists <OL>. If a single style is defined, successive styles are automatically generated with prefixes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 for successive list indentations. By default, the styles are already defined as "Numbered List1", ..., "Numbered List6".

• table_cell Paragraph style inside <TD>.

• table_header Paragraph style inside <TH>.

• table_header_bgcolor Default background color for table headers.

• table_cell_bgcolor Default background color for table cells.

• table_cell_bgcolor2 Alternate background color for odd rows (optional).

• table_caption Paragraph style for <CAPTION>.

• code Character style for content inside <code>.

• codeblock Paragraph style for <pre> blocks.

• token Paragraph style for <div class="token">.

• link_title Paragraph style for link text.

• link_url Paragraph style for link URLs.

• quote Paragraph style for highlighted quote blocks.

HTML rendering (Word and PowerPoint)

catslap supports interpretation of a subset of HTML to generate rich documents.

Supported tags

• <P>: Paragraphs, with CSS support for:

  • text-align
  • color
  • font-weight
  • font-style
  • text-decoration

• <H1> to <H6>: Chapter headings.

• <OL>, <UL>, <LI>: Ordered and unordered lists.

• <PRE>: Code blocks.

• <BLOCKQUOTE>: Highlighted quotes.

• <CODE>: Inline code.

• <EM>, <I>: Italic.

• <STRONG>, <B>: Bold.

• <U>: Underline.

• <STROKE>: Strikethrough.

• <FONT color="">: Text color (also via CSS color).

• <TABLE>, <TR>, <TD>, <TH>, <CAPTION>, <THEAD>, <TBODY>: Table definition.

• <IMG>: Images.

• <A href="">...</A>: Links.

• <DIV class="<style>">: Apply predefined block styles (token, table_cell, codeblock, etc.).

• <SPAN class="<style>">: Apply character-level styles (only code).

License

To be defined.