Any idea how i can convert links to this format (text)[link]

[niveKKumar]

Hey I would liket to use this lib to convet html strings in discord format, so I am required to convert it not to textblock [link], but my textblock with () around => (textblock)[link]

[KillyMXI]

You will need a custom formatter.

1. Refer to this readme section: https://github.com/html-to-text/node-html-to-text#override-formatting
2. Take the original formatter as a base and modify it for your needs: https://github.com/html-to-text/node-html-to-text/blob/master/lib/formatter.js#L170-L205

[niveKKumar]

I actually dont understand the custom formatter at all 😅😄

[niveKKumar]

 discord: function formatAnchor(elem, walk, builder, formatOptions) {
        function getHref() {
          if (formatOptions.ignoreHref) {
            return "";
          }
          if (!elem.attribs || !elem.attribs.href) {
            return "";
          }
          let href = elem.attribs.href.replace(/^mailto:/, "");
          if (formatOptions.noAnchorUrl && href[0] === "#") {
            return "";
          }
          href = formatOptions.baseUrl && href[0] === "/" ? formatOptions.baseUrl + href : href;
          return he.decode(href, (builder as any).options.decodeOptions);
        }
        const href = getHref();
        if (!href) {
          walk(elem.children, builder);
        } else {
          builder.pushWordTransform((str) => {
            if (str) {
            }
            return hyperlink(str, href);
          });
          walk(elem.children, builder);
          builder.popWordTransform();
        }
      },
      ```
      
      Tried it but it seems to hyperlink every word I have no clue how the rest with of theses funtions with the builder works
      I just want to output it as (text)[url]
      Cant be so hard right ? 😆 

[KillyMXI]

Hint: you do not need builder.pushWordTransform for this.
In the existing formatter it is only used to peek into contained text and check whether it is the same as the url.

[dyihoon90]

@niveKKumar did you manage to get it to work? I need this as well

[dyihoon90]

for future ref, this works:

import { htmlToText, FormatCallback } from 'html-to-text';

const formatAnchor: FormatCallback = (elem, walk, builder, formatOptions) => {
  function getHref() {
    if (formatOptions.ignoreHref) {
      return '';
    }
    if (!elem.attribs || !elem.attribs.href) {
      return '';
    }
    const href: string = elem.attribs.href.replace(/^mailto:/, '');
    if (formatOptions.noAnchorUrl && href[0] === '#') {
      return '';
    }
    if (formatOptions.baseUrl) {
      return formatOptions.baseUrl + href;
    }
    return href;
  }
  const href = getHref();
  builder.addInline('[');
  walk(elem.children, builder);
  builder.addInline(']');
  const openLinkBracket = formatOptions.linkBrackets ? formatOptions.linkBrackets[0] : '';
  const closeLinkBracket = formatOptions.linkBrackets ? formatOptions.linkBrackets[1] : '';
  builder.addInline(`${openLinkBracket}${href}${closeLinkBracket}`, {
    noWordTransform: true
  });
};

const html = `
<div>ABC</div>
<a href="/employment-practices#SAIA" data-hash="#Section-Employmentpractises" class="link-has-image home-page-menu">
  <div class="nav-icon">
    <img src="/-/media/mom/files/images/home-page/icon-employment-practices.png" alt="Employment practices">
  </div>
  <span>Employment practices</span>
  <span class="nav-desc">
    Leave, public holidays, employment rights and conditions, schemes, claims, skills and training.
  </span>
</a>
`;

const text = htmlToText(html, {
  formatters: {
    formatAnchor
  },
  selectors: [
    { selector: 'img', format: 'skip' },
    { selector: 'svg', format: 'skip' },
    { selector: 'div', format: 'inline' },
    {
      selector: 'a',
      format: 'formatAnchor',
      options: { baseUrl: 'https://example.com', linkBrackets: ['(', ')'] }
    }
  ],
  wordwrap: false
});
// ABC [ Employment practices Leave, public holidays, employment rights and conditions, schemes, claims, skills and training. ](https://example.com/employment-practices#SAIA)
console.log(text);