Convert DocBook to reStructuredText

Turn DocBook, the XML format for technical books and documentation toolchains, into reStructuredText, the documentation format of the Python ecosystem and Sphinx. FileChanger runs the document conversion in one call, no local tooling to install.

In the browser

Upload a file and download the result, no pipeline required. Open the converter.

One API call

POST the file with from=docbook and to=rst, get the converted bytes back. Jump to the code.

From an agent

FileChanger ships an MCP server, so agents can run this conversion themselves. See the docs for setup.

Convert DocBook to reStructuredText in code

The same call from any language: POST the file to /api/convert, the response body is the converted file.

curl -X POST https://filechanger.io/api/convert \
  -H "X-Api-Key: fc_your_api_key_here" \
  -F "file=@input.xml" \
  -F "from=docbook" \
  -F "to=rst" \
  -o output.rst

import requests

with open("input.xml", "rb") as f:
    response = requests.post(
        "https://filechanger.io/api/convert",
        headers={"X-Api-Key": "fc_your_api_key_here"},
        files={"file": f},
        data={"from": "docbook", "to": "rst"},
    )

response.raise_for_status()
with open("output.rst", "wb") as out:
    out.write(response.content)

const formData = new FormData();
formData.append("file", fileInput.files[0]);
formData.append("from", "docbook");
formData.append("to", "rst");

const response = await fetch("https://filechanger.io/api/convert", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "X-Api-Key": "fc_your_api_key_here" },
  body: formData,
});

const output = await response.blob();

import java.net.http.HttpRequest.BodyPublishers;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse.BodyHandlers;
import java.nio.file.Path;

String boundary = "----FormBoundary" + System.currentTimeMillis();
byte[] fileBytes = java.nio.file.Files.readAllBytes(Path.of("input.xml"));

String body = "--" + boundary + "\r\n"
    + "Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"file\"; filename=\"input.xml\"\r\n"
    + "Content-Type: application/octet-stream\r\n\r\n"
    + new String(fileBytes) + "\r\n"
    + "--" + boundary + "\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name=\"from\"\r\n\r\ndocbook\r\n"
    + "--" + boundary + "\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name=\"to\"\r\n\r\nrst\r\n"
    + "--" + boundary + "--";

HttpClient client = HttpClient.newHttpClient();
HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
    .uri(URI.create("https://filechanger.io/api/convert"))
    .header("X-Api-Key", "fc_your_api_key_here")
    .header("Content-Type", "multipart/form-data; boundary=" + boundary)
    .POST(BodyPublishers.ofString(body))
    .build();

HttpResponse<byte[]> response = client.send(
    request, BodyHandlers.ofByteArray());
java.nio.file.Files.write(Path.of("output.rst"), response.body());

import Network.HTTP.Client
import Network.HTTP.Client.MultipartFormData
import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as BL

main :: IO ()
main = do
  manager <- newManager defaultManagerSettings
  initialReq <- parseRequest "POST https://filechanger.io/api/convert"
  let req = initialReq
        { requestHeaders = [("X-Api-Key", "fc_your_api_key_here")] }
  request <- formDataBody
    [ partFileSource "file" "input.xml"
    , partBS "from" "docbook"
    , partBS "to" "rst"
    ] req

  response <- httpLbs request manager
  BL.writeFile "output.rst" (responseBody response)

About DocBook

DocBook is an XML vocabulary for technical documentation, long established in enterprise and open-source publishing pipelines. Projects and publishers use it as a canonical source format from which HTML, PDF, and help systems are generated.

About reStructuredText

reStructuredText (RST) is the documentation format of the Python world, consumed by Sphinx to build the docs of Python itself and thousands of libraries. Its directive system supports cross-references, API docs, and multi-page manuals beyond what plain Markdown offers.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert DocBook to reStructuredText?

Upload your file in the browser converter and pick reStructuredText as the target, or POST it to /api/convert with from=docbook and to=rst. The response body is the converted file.

Is converting DocBook to reStructuredText free?

Yes. The free tier includes 2 GB of conversions per month, metered on input size. See pricing for the paid tiers.

Is there an API for DocBook to reStructuredText conversion?

Yes, this whole conversion is one POST to /api/convert (the code examples above show it in five languages), plus an MCP server so AI agents can run it directly.