Transform HTML to WhatsApp Chat Format

Overview

This script allows you to transform HTML files that contain chat messages into a text file formatted like a WhatsApp chat.

Prerequisites

1. Python Installed: Ensure you have Python 3.x installed on your computer. You can download it from python.org.
2. BeautifulSoup Library: This script uses the BeautifulSoup library to parse HTML. You will need to install it if it's not already installed.

Installation

Step 1: Install Python

Download and install Python from the official website. Follow the instructions for your operating system.

Step 2: Install Required Libraries

Open your command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and run the following command to install the BeautifulSoup library:

pip install beautifulsoup4

Usage

Step 1: Download the Script

Save the provided script into a file named transform_html_to_whatsapp.py.

Step 2: Prepare Your HTML File

Ensure your chat messages are saved in an HTML file (e.g., messages.html).

Step 3: Run the Script

1. Open Command Prompt or Terminal

   • On Windows: Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
   • On macOS/Linux: Open your terminal from the Applications folder or via a shortcut.

2. Navigate to the Directory Containing the Script and HTML File

   Use the cd command to change the directory to where you saved transform_html_to_whatsapp.py and messages.html.

   cd path/to/your/directory

3. Run the Script

   Execute the script by running:

   python transform_html_to_whatsapp.py

4. Wait for the Script to Complete

   The script will read your HTML file, transform the content, and save it to _chat.txt. You will see a message indicating the transformation is complete.

Example Commands

Here is a detailed example of the commands you might run:

pip install beautifulsoup4
cd C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents\YourDirectory  # Navigate to your directory
python transform_html_to_whatsapp.py             # Run the script

Output

After running the script, you'll find a file named _chat.txt in the same directory. This file contains the transformed chat messages in WhatsApp format.

Troubleshooting

• Ensure BeautifulSoup is Installed: If you receive an error about BeautifulSoup not being found, make sure you've installed the library using the pip install beautifulsoup4 command.
• Check File Paths: Make sure your HTML file and the script are in the correct directory. Use the ls (macOS/Linux) or dir (Windows) command to list files in the current directory to verify.
• Python Version: Ensure you're using Python 3.x by running python --version.

Additional Notes

• Customize the HTML parsing in the script if your HTML file structure differs.
• Test with a small sample HTML file first to ensure it works as expected.