Notebook Document Processing

Since Version 3, notebooks have been saved as symbolic expressions that can easily be loaded and processed into the Wolfram Language, but doing so requires a significant understanding of the notebook's symbolic representation. NotebookImport clears that hurdle by making it simple to pull text, graphics, and code from notebooks.

Import all "Notes"-styled cells found in the documentation for Cos, convert them to plain text strings, and return them in a nicely formatted table.

In[1]:=

docNotebook = FileNameJoin[{$InstallationDirectory, "Documentation", "English", "System", "ReferencePages", "Symbols", "Cos.nb"}]; makeGrid[data_] := Grid[List /@ data, Alignment -> Left, Dividers -> All, Spacings -> {1, 1}, Background -> {None, {{Lighter[ Blend[{Gray, Hue[RandomReal[], .8, 1]}, {.4, .6}], .8], White}}}]

In[2]:=

makeGrid[Text /@ NotebookImport[docNotebook, "Notes" -> "Text"]]

Out[2]=

Samples of all extracted inputs.

In[3]:=

makeGrid[Take[NotebookImport[docNotebook, "Input"], 9]]

Out[3]=

Show the inputs in "InactiveExpression" form.

In[4]:=

makeGrid[Take[ NotebookImport[docNotebook, "Input" -> "InactiveExpression"], 9]]

Out[4]=

Samples of all the graphical outputs.

In[5]:=

Take[Cases[ NotebookImport[docNotebook, "Output"], _Graphics | _Image | _Graphics3D], 4]

Out[5]=

Samples of all extracted example texts.

In[6]:=

makeGrid[Take[NotebookImport[docNotebook, "ExampleText" -> "Text"], 9]]

Out[6]=