Batch File Converter

What This Does

This workflow enables batch conversion of documents between multiple formats using a unified pipeline. Convert hundreds of files at once with consistent settings, automatic format detection, and parallel processing for maximum efficiency.

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Quick Start

Step 1: Create a Project Folder

mkdir -p ~/Documents/BatchConvert

Step 2: Download the Template

Click Download above, then:

mv ~/Downloads/CLAUDE.md ~/Documents/BatchConvert/

Step 3: Start Working

cd ~/Documents/BatchConvert
claude

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How to Use

1. Specify the source folder or files
2. Choose target format(s)
3. Optionally configure conversion options
4. I'll process all files with progress tracking

Example prompts:

• "Convert all PDFs in this folder to Word documents"
• "Batch convert these markdown files to PDF and HTML"
• "Process all Office files and convert to Markdown"
• "Convert this folder of images to a single PDF"

Best Practices

1. Test Sample First: Convert a few files before batch processing
2. Check Disk Space: Ensure sufficient space for output
3. Use Parallel Processing: Speed up with multiple workers
4. Handle Errors Gracefully: Log failures, continue processing
5. Verify Output: Spot-check converted files

Examples

Example 1: Documentation Export

from pathlib import Path
import json

def export_documentation(docs_dir, export_dir):
    """Export all documentation to multiple formats."""
    
    converter = DocumentConverter(max_workers=8)
    docs_path = Path(docs_dir)
    export_path = Path(export_dir)
    
    # Create format directories
    for fmt in ['pdf', 'docx', 'html']:
        (export_path / fmt).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
    
    all_results = {}
    
    # Find all markdown files
    md_files = list(docs_path.rglob('*.md'))
    
    for md_file in md_files:
        file_results = {}
        
        for fmt in ['pdf', 'docx', 'html']:
            output_dir = export_path / fmt
            try:
                output = converter.convert(md_file, fmt, output_dir)
                file_results[fmt] = 'success'
            except Exception as e:
                file_results[fmt] = f'error: {e}'
        
        all_results[str(md_file)] = file_results
        print(f"Processed: {md_file.name}")
    
    # Save report
    with open(export_path / 'export_report.json', 'w') as f:
        json.dump(all_results, f, indent=2)
    
    return all_results

results = export_documentation('./docs', './exports')

Example 2: Legacy Document Migration

def migrate_legacy_docs(source_dir, target_dir):
    """Migrate legacy documents to modern formats."""
    
    converter = DocumentConverter(max_workers=4)
    
    # Migration rules
    migrations = [
        ('*.doc', 'docx'),   # Old Word to new
        ('*.xls', 'xlsx'),   # Old Excel to new
        ('*.ppt', 'pptx'),   # Old PowerPoint to new
        ('*.rtf', 'docx'),   # RTF to Word
    ]
    
    source_path = Path(source_dir)
    target_path = Path(target_dir)
    target_path.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
    
    total_migrated = 0
    errors = []
    
    for pattern, target_format in migrations:
        files = list(source_path.glob(pattern))
        
        for file in files:
            try:
                # Use LibreOffice for legacy formats
                subprocess.run([
                    'soffice', '--headless',
                    '--convert-to', target_format,
                    '--outdir', str(target_path),
                    str(file)
                ], check=True)
                
                total_migrated += 1
                print(f"Migrated: {file.name}")
                
            except Exception as e:
                errors.append({'file': str(file), 'error': str(e)})
    
    print(f"\nMigration complete: {total_migrated} files")
    print(f"Errors: {len(errors)}")
    
    return {'migrated': total_migrated, 'errors': errors}

Example 3: Report Generation Pipeline

Limitations

• Some format combinations not supported
• Complex formatting may be lost in conversion
• Large files may require more time
• Some conversions need external tools (LibreOffice, Pandoc)
• Quality varies by source document complexity

Installation

# Core dependencies
pip install pdf2docx markitdown python-docx openpyxl

# Pandoc (for MD conversions)
brew install pandoc  # macOS
apt install pandoc   # Ubuntu

# Marp (for PPTX)
npm install -g @marp-team/marp-cli

# LibreOffice (for Office formats)
brew install libreoffice  # macOS
apt install libreoffice   # Ubuntu