py2nb – Conversion between jupyter notebooks and python scripts
This python package provides two scipts
py2nb– Convert a python script to a jupyter notebooknb2py– Convert a jupyter notebook to a python script
py2nb
Cells in the python script are separated by '#%%' as in the jupyter extension for visual studio code. (Also spyder?)
Markdown cells are marked by following the separator with a triple quoted string, starting and ending with """ at the start of their lines. Any code in the cell after the triple quoted string is ignored.
All other cells are converted to jupyter code cells.
nb2py
Code cells and markdown cells are converted to a python file with cells separated as described above. Raw NBConvert cells are presently ignored.
It differs from jupyter nbconvert --to script by a clear markup of the markdown cells.
Motivation
I like the jupyter extension for the visual studio code editor. However for documentation and sharing with others a jupyter notebook is needed. With the py2nb script this is possible and gives the added bonus of being able to edit the notebook with markdown cells in a real editor.
The nb2py script goes the opposite way, converting a notebook to a format suitable for working in vs code with the jupyter extension.
py2nb followed with nb2py should return the same script. The only exception should be the removal of code in a markdown cell after the triple quoted string.
nb2py followed by nb2py should return an equivalent notebook with output and Raw NBConvert removed and execution counts blanked out. This combined operation may be useful for storing notebooks in a version control system.
These scripts work for me, but do not provide an ideal solution. I would have preferred that opening an ipynb-file in vs code should do the nb2py (or something similar) automatically and saving should perform something like the py2nb script. Preferably with nice preview of the markdown cells or the whole notebook. Unfortunately, I do not have the competence in Javascript to follow this up.
Other work
Conversion from notebook to python is part of the official jupyter nbconvert package.
It may be possible to make a template that provides a clearer markup of the
markdown cells.
Conversion from python to notebook is discussed at stackoverflow, https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23292242. I learned a lot from that discussion.
There is also a github repository, https://github.com/sklam/py2nb, with the same name. It is presently not maintained. A newer repository is https://github.com/chicham/py2nb.
There is a vs code extension, Jupyter Notebook Converter, by Yigit Ozgumus.
This is supposed to do a py2nb-like conversion within the vs code editor.
Unfortunately, it is not working for me. Presently, the py2nb script does not
accept the Jupyter Notebook Converter markup format for the markdown info. This
may be implemented later.