engrapha-notes 0.1.1

Themed ReportLab notes toolkit with markdown, HTML, PPTX, and flashcard exports

Transparency Notice: Built to solve my own frustration with inconsistent AI-generated notes. Heavy AI assistance was used for code generation, but the architecture, testing, and curation are mine.

📝 engrapha_notes

Project Status: Early alpha — feedback welcome!

A themed ReportLab notes template generator with a built-in markdown compiler CLI.

It provides a simple, structured Python API to build beautiful academic notes, question banks, study guides, slides, and flashcards with unified dark/light themes and native vector diagrams.

---

🚀 Features

• Premium Cover Pages: Screenshot-worthy covers with linear, notion, academic_modern, catppuccin, hero, book, diagram, modern, minimal, corporate, gradient, standard, academic, and textbook styles. Tags, icons, and SVG background illustrations.
• Built-in Presets: One-line presets (en.cover_preset()) for instant professional covers: engineering, research-paper, course-notes, networking, database, programming.
• Table Column Control & Wrapping: Custom column widths in en.info_table and en.toc(style="index"). Cells automatically wrap long words (>24 characters) using zero-width font-size spaces, avoiding clipping and missing-glyph black boxes in standard PDF fonts.
• Mathematical Formulas: Render LaTeX syntax inline or as centered equation blocks (en.formula(), en.formula_block()).
• Textbook Callouts: Semantic helper blocks including warning(), important(), exam(), definition(), theorem(), and proof().
• Study & Revision: Build integrated study materials using en.question(), en.qbox(), en.answer(), and en.mcq().
• Flashcards & Anki Export: Automatically compile definitions into interactive flashcards via en.flashcard() and export directly to Anki .apkg format.
• Multi-Format Publishing: Export a single source document to PDF, HTML (en.build_html()), and PowerPoint (en.build_pptx()).
• Themed Layouts: 15 preset configurations for document-wide visual themes (Notion, GitHub, Linear, Academic, Textbook, Catppuccin, Sepia, etc.).
• ThemeBuilder: Custom dynamic theming engine to construct bespoke document layouts.
• Prebuilt Templates: Optimized formatting defaults like EngineeringNotes (technical manuals) and QuestionBank (exam papers/worksheets).
• LaTeX-like Features: Support for footnotes, cross-reference anchors, and compiled index tables.
• Modular Compilation: Combine multiple sub-scripts or markdown chapters using en.include_chapter() and en.include_markdown().
• Document Splitting: Automate partitioning large documents by chapter boundaries or page ranges via en.build_split_doc().
• Markdown CLI Compiler: Compile standard Markdown files (with alerts and diagram blocks) directly to themed PDFs.

---

📦 Installation

Install the package locally from the monorepo root:

# Core: notes, diagrams, PDF export, syntax highlighting
pip install ./packages/engrapha_notes

# All extras (pptx, split, flashcards, svg):
pip install ./packages/engrapha_notes[all]

# Or pick specific extras: [flashcards], [split], [pptx], or [svg]
pip install ./packages/engrapha_notes[pptx]

---

🐍 Python API Usage

1. Premium Cover Pages

Create screenshot-worthy covers with modern styles, tags, icons, and background illustrations.

import engrapha_notes as en

# Simple cover with built-in preset
en.cover_preset(
    "engineering",
    title="Computer Networks",
    subtitle="Complete Study Guide",
    author="Bharat Dangi",
    date="June 2026",
)

# Or build a custom premium cover
en.cover_card(
    title="Computer Networks",
    subtitle="Complete Engineering Notes",
    author="Bharat Dangi",
    cover_theme="linear",          # or style="linear"
    icon="💻",              # emoji or text icon
    tags=[
        "Networking",
        "Semester IV",
        "Exam Notes"
    ],
    logo_svg="assets/engrapha_logo_black.svg",
    logo_width=120.0,
    banner_svg="asset_images/network_topology.svg",
    banner_width=400.0,
    banner_align="center",
)

# Add a faint SVG background illustration (optional svglib for native vector)
en.cover_image(
    "asset_images/network_topology.svg",
    opacity=0.06,
    placement="background",
)

en.br()

Cover Gallery

Built-in Presets (en.cover_preset(name)):

Preset	Style	Icon	Best For
engineering	linear	💻	SaaS docs, engineering guides
research-paper	academic_modern	📐	Research papers, peer review
course-notes	catppuccin	📘	Course notes, study guides
networking	notion	🔗	CCNA, network diagrams
database	academic_modern	🗃️	Database systems, SQL
programming	linear	🐘	Programming, software engineering

Cover Styles (en.cover_card(style=...)):

Style	Best For
linear	SaaS docs, engineering guides — huge typography, gradient corner
notion	Clean, minimalist docs — icon-heavy, generous whitespace
academic_modern	O'Reilly / Manning inspired — structured, professional
catppuccin	Developer-focused — soft pastels, rounded cards
textbook	Student notes — thick accent bar, nested metadata
modern	General purpose — rounded card with accent border
minimal	Ultra clean — thin left bar, elegant typography
gradient	Colorful — diagonal corner split with dual accents
corporate	Business — top/bottom frame layout
academic	Formal — double frame with corner ornaments
standard	Legacy boxed card
hero	Massive typography, generous whitespace
book	Classic textbook aesthetic with surface color blocks
diagram	SVG background illustration with accent text

Cover Illustration Parameters (en.cover_card(...)):

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
logo_svg	str | None	None	Path to an SVG logo rendered above the cover card
logo_width	float	120.0	Target width in points for the logo SVG
banner_svg	str | None	None	Path to an SVG banner rendered between subtitle and tags
banner_width	float	400.0	Target width in points for the banner SVG
banner_align	str	"left"	Alignment for the banner: "left", "center", or "right"

logo_svg and banner_svg require the optional svglib package. Install with pip install engrapha-notes[svg].

2. Basic Note Structuring

import engrapha_notes as en

# Choose a theme
en.set_theme(en.DARK)

# Create a cover page
en.bookmark("Cover Page")
en.suppress_footer(page_only=True)
en.sp(40)
en.cover_card("Computer Science Notes", "Unit I: Basics", style="modern", author="Bharat Dangi")
en.br()

# IMPORTANT: Do not call en.bookmark() manually for standard sections!
# en.chap_box() and en.section() automatically register themselves in the TOC.

# Add Table of Contents
en.suppress_footer(page_only=True)
en.toc(style="standard")

# Main content
en.footer(left="Algorithms", right="Unit I", show_page_num=True)
en.part_box(
    "Unit I: Basic Algorithms",
    subtitle="Analysis of sorting and search methods",
    topics=["Complexity Theory", "Divide & Conquer", "Pivot Selection"]
)
en.chap_box("1.1 Sorting")
en.section("Quick Sort")
en.body("Quick Sort is a divide-and-conquer sorting algorithm.")
en.tip("Average case time complexity is O(N log N).")
en.note("Worst case time complexity is O(N^2) when the pivot is poorly chosen.")

# Compile the document
en.build_doc("sorting_notes.pdf")

3. Code Blocks and Tables

import engrapha_notes as en

# Syntax-highlighted code block with Dracula theme
en.code_block("""
public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("Hello, World!");
}
""", lang="java", theme=en.DRACULA)

# Multi-column information tables with custom column widths
en.info_table(
    ["Algorithm", "Best Case", "Worst Case"],
    [
        ["Quick Sort", "O(N log N)", "O(N^2)"],
        ["Merge Sort", "O(N log N)", "O(N log N)"],
    ],
    col_widths=["40%", "30%", "30%"]
)

4. Images (Local & Remote)

You can render images from local paths or remote URLs directly into your document. Remote URLs are automatically downloaded and cached locally in .Engrapha_cache/images for offline access and speed.

Sizing and Hyperlink Example

import engrapha_notes as en

# Local image with caption and hyperlink
en.image(
    "asset_images/von_neumann.png",
    caption="Fig 1: Von Neumann Architecture (Local)",
    link="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Neumann_architecture"
)

# Remote image from a URL (will be auto-cached) with specific size
en.image(
    "https://www.google.com/images/branding/googlelogo/1x/googlelogo_color_272x92dp.png",
    caption="Fig 2: Google Logo (Remote)",
    width=200,
    height=68,
    link="https://www.google.com"
)

Fallbacks & Warning Placeholders

The image system includes two layers of fallback protection:

1. User-defined Fallbacks: You can supply one or more fallback image sources via the fallbacks parameter.
2. Default Placeholder Box: If all sources fail, the compiler renders a styled warning placeholder box.

import engrapha_notes as en

en.image(
    "https://invalid-domain.com/nonexistent_image.png",
    fallbacks=[
        "https://alternative-invalid.com/backup.jpg",
        "asset_images/von_neumann.png"
    ],
    caption="Von Neumann (Loaded via Fallbacks)"
)

5. LaTeX-like Features & References

# Label a section
en.section("Advanced Sorting")
en.label("sec_adv_sort")

# Add a footnote and index entry
en.body(f"We can use random pivots{en.footnote('A random pivot yields O(N log N) average complexity with high probability.')}.")
en.index_entry("Randomized Quick Sort")

# Cross-reference
en.body(f"For details on advanced sorting, see the section on Page {en.ref('sec_adv_sort')}.")

# Print the generated index table
en.print_index()

Inline math in body paragraphs

en.body() and Paragraph-based helpers automatically convert $...$ LaTeX math to inline images:

en.body("The Master Theorem gives $T(N) = \Theta(N^{\log_b a})$ when $f(N) = \Theta(N^{\log_b a})$.")

Custom formula color and size

formula(), formula_block(), and inline $...$ math all accept optional color and fontsize overrides:

en.formula(r"E = mc^2", color="#fbbf24", fontsize=14.0)
en.formula_block(r"\int_0^\infty e^{-x^2} dx = \frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2}", color="#38bdf8")

Matplotlib Mathtext Limitations

Since inline math uses matplotlib's internal mathtext parser (rather than a full-scale LaTeX compiler), there are a few syntax constraints:

• No short-form inequality macros: Use \geq and \leq instead of \ge and \le.
• No \iff and extensible arrows: Use \Leftrightarrow instead of \iff, and use \overset{label}{\rightarrow} instead of extensible arrows like \xrightarrow{label}.
• No \pmod: Use \ (\mathrm{mod}\ N) instead of \pmod{N} or \pmod N.
• Set vertical bars: Use \vert or \mid for vertical bars in sets.

6. Advanced Styling, Custom Layouts & Overrides

import engrapha_notes as en

# Custom Print Theme with Double Page Borders
print_theme = en.LIGHT.copy_with(
    name="Print Light",
    body_font="Times-Roman",
    heading_font="Times-Bold",
    size_body=10.0,
    size_question=12.0,
    double_page_border=True,
    page_border_margin=15.0,
    page_border_gap=3.0,
    plain_questions=True,
)
en.set_theme(print_theme)

# Three-Column Running Headers & Footers
en.set_global_header(
    left="Indian Constitution Notes",
    center="Semester – IV",
    right="Session-Jan-June 2025"
)
en.set_global_footer(
    left="Name: Bharat Dangi",
    center="Enrollment no: 0101IT241013",
    show_page_num=True
)

# Suppression of Headers/Footers on Specific Pages
en.bookmark("Cover Page")
en.suppress_header(page_only=True)
en.suppress_footer(page_only=True)
en.cover_card("Indian Constitution", "Unit 1: Basics")
en.br()

# Multi-Page Grid-Based INDEX / Table of Contents
en.toc(style="index", col_widths=["10%", "29%", "10%", "16%", "14%", "7%", "14%"])

# Component-Level Typography and Color Overrides
en.qbox(
    "What is Constitutionalism?",
    font_name="Times-Bold",
    font_size=12,
    text_color="#ff0000",
    bg_color="#ffffff",
    border_color="#000000"
)
en.body("Constitutionalism refers to the limitation of government by law.")

7. Textbook Callouts & Study Helpers

import engrapha_notes as en

en.warning("High voltage! Do not touch or operate this equipment without safety gear.")
en.important("Amdahl's Law defines the theoretical speedup in latency of execution.")
en.exam("Amdahl's law is a frequent question on computer organization exams!")
en.theorem("For any right-angled triangle, a^2 + b^2 = c^2.")
en.proof("By constructing four identical triangles around a square...")

en.question("State the difference between latency and throughput.")
en.answer("Latency is the time delay for a single task; throughput is tasks per unit time.")
en.qbox("Draw and explain the Von Neumann architecture.")

en.mcq(
    "Which algorithm is quickest in the worst-case scenario?",
    ["Quick Sort", "Bubble Sort", "Merge Sort", "Insertion Sort"],
    correct_index=2
)

en.revision_card("Key Metrics", [
    "Average Latency",
    "Tail Latency (p99)",
    "Throughput",
    "Resource Utilization"
])

en.flashcard("Von Neumann Bottleneck", "The throughput limitation between CPU and memory.")

8. Frame and Packet Formats

import engrapha_notes as en

en.frame_format(
    "Ethernet Frame Structure",
    [
        ("PREAMBLE", "7B"),
        ("SFD", "1B"),
        ("DEST MAC", "6B"),
        ("SRC MAC", "6B"),
        ("TYPE", "2B"),
        ("PAYLOAD", "46-1500B"),
        ("FCS", "4B"),
    ]
)

en.packet_format(
    "IPv4 Header Format",
    [
        ("Version", 4),
        ("IHL", 4),
        ("DSCP", 6),
        ("ECN", 2),
        ("Total Length", 16),
        ("Identification", 16),
        ("Flags", 3),
        ("Fragment Offset", 13),
        ("TTL", 8),
        ("Protocol", 8),
        ("Header Checksum", 16),
        ("Source IP Address", 32),
        ("Destination IP Address", 32),
    ],
    bit_ruler=True
)

---

💻 Markdown CLI Compiler

You can compile markdown notes files directly to PDF via the command line interface using either engrapha or pdfnotes:

engrapha input.md --output output.pdf --theme catppuccin-mocha

Display Help & Documentation

To print the comprehensive API reference, theme listing, and Markdown syntax guide directly in your terminal, run:

engrapha --info
# or: pdfnotes --info

Options:

• input: Path to input markdown file.
• -o, --output: Custom output path (defaults to input path with .pdf extension).
• -t, --theme: Theme name (default: dark).
• --title: Custom document title.
• --author: Custom document author.

Supported Themes:

• dark (default)
• light
• ocean-dark
• forest-dark
• sunset-dark
• midnight-dark
• ocean-light
• sepia
• catppuccin-latte
• catppuccin-mocha

Alert Boxes Mapping:

GitHub-style alert blocks are parsed and compiled automatically:

• > [!NOTE] → Yellow note box (via en.note)
• > [!TIP] → Green exam-tip box (via en.tip)
• > [!WARNING] / > [!CAUTION] → Yellow-bordered container box (via en.highlight)

Embedded Diagrams Syntax:

You can embed diagrams inside markdown using simple text DSL blocks:

```flowchart
width = 400
height = 200
caption = Fig 1: Basic Process Flow
direction = LR
scale_factor = 1.0
terminal start "START"
process step "Compute Value"
terminal end "END"

edge start step
edge step end

*Supported diagram block types:* `flowchart`, `sequence`, `layeredstack`, `schema`/`er`, `git`, `architecture`/`arch`, `c4`/`c4container`, `aws`/`cloud`. (Other diagram types like `classdiagram` or `statemachine` must be compiled using Python script).

---

## 📝 Diagram Integration & Static Type Checking

When integrating diagrams created with `engrapha_diagrams` into a notes document, always use `en.add(diagram.as_flowable())` instead of manipulating the internal `story` list directly.

### Resolving Pyright / Pylance Warnings
Static type checkers (like Pyright or Pylance in VS Code) might flag a type mismatch warning when passing a diagram list to `add()` if the signature is not correctly handled:
> `Argument of type "list[Unknown]" cannot be assigned to parameter "x" of type "Flowable" in function "add"`

This happens because `as_flowable()` returns a `list[Flowable]` (which packages the drawing flowable along with its optional caption Paragraph flowable) rather than a single `Flowable`.

**Solution:**
The `en.add()` API accepts a union of a single flowable or a list of flowables and flattens them automatically:
```python
def add(x: Flowable | list[Flowable] | tuple[Flowable, ...]) -> None:

---

📋 Requirements & License

• Python >= 3.11
• reportlab >= 4.5.1
• pygments >= 2.20.0
• Engrapha-diagrams >= 0.1.0

Optional (extended features — install with specific extras or [all]):

• python-pptx >= 1.0.2 (via [pptx] extra — PowerPoint export)
• pymupdf >= 1.25.0 (via [split] extra — document splitting)
• genanki >= 0.13.1 (via [flashcards] extra — Anki .apkg export)
• svglib >= 1.5.1 (via [svg] extra — SVG background illustration rendering)

Licensed under the MIT License.