Example Pandoc Filter for Translating Unicode to LaTeX

LaTeX markup sucks, so tools like pandoc are great, since they let us write in something more sensible like markdown, then use a template to export to latex. However, special unicode characters or Greek letters still require crap like \Omega, despite the fact that it's easier than ever to type unicode or foreign symbols in this the Year Of Our Lord 2016.

I wrote this pandoc filter as a proof of concept (it's very incomplete and probably broken in some cases). It lets you just write unicode literals in markdown, then translates the symbols to the equivalent markup when outputting to LaTeX or pdf.

Features

Works transparently in math mode:

• $Λ$CDM
• $Ω_Μ=0.3$

Automatically converts space-delimited tokens to math mode if needed:

• z≠3 becomes $z\neq{}3$
• z ≠ 3 becomes z $\neq{}$ 3

Needs

• python (probably 3)
• panflute

Files

• test.md - Sample input markdown (wot you write)
• test.tex - Sample latex output (wot you submit to the journal)
• test.pdf - Sample pdf output (wot you send to collaborators)

Run

• pandoc test.md --filter test_filter.py -t latex -o test.tex
• pandoc test.md --filter test_filter.py -t latex -o test.pdf