Use Markdown instead of HTML

[Voxelman]

I would like to suggest to use Markdown instead of HTML for text. This would make translations much simpler.

A random example in HTML

Quote

<strong>Starter Survival Guide</strong><br><i>Survival: The Art of not dying</i><br><br>Note: This guide is purposely kept short, additional guides are in the Guides tab on the left and a comprehensive survival guide can be found on the <a href="https://wiki.vintagestory.at/index.php?title=Survival_Guide_-_Your_first_day">wiki</a>.<br><br><strong>First tools</strong><br>Find <a href="handbook://item-flint">flint</a> or hard <a href="handbook://item-stone-granite">stones</a>. They can often be found loose on the ground. When you have 2 of them, <hk>shift</hk> + right-click to place one on the ground to begin <a href="handbook://craftinginfo-knapping">knapping</a>.<br><br><strong>Expanding inventory</strong><br>Your starting inventory has 10 slots, you can also carry up to 4 baskets or other containers. The most basic one, the <a href="handbook://item-basket">hand basket</a>, requires 10 cattails. Harvest cattails from reeds or papyrus, then hit 'E' to open your inventory to craft. The crafting recipe is on the <a href="handbook://item-basket">hand basket</a> page.<br><br><strong>Finding food</strong><br>An easy food source is berries from berry bushes. If you are feeling adventurous, attempt to hunt and kill an animal. Cooked cattail roots are a good emergency food. Keep an eye open for crops, they will be valuable food sources in the longer term. Once you found clay, be sure to get into <a href="handbook://craftinginfo-mealcooking">meal cooking</a> to greatly improve your nutrition intake.<br><br><strong>Fire / Light</strong><br><a href="handbook://craftinginfo-knapping">Knap</a> a knife and use it to gather <a href="handbook://item-drygrass">grass</a>. Place the grass on the ground, add 4 pieces of <a href="handbook://item-firewood">fire wood</a> and ignite it with a <a href="handbook://item-firestarter">Firestarter</a>. You can now use the firepit to cook roots and meat, or light torches that can be made from <a href="handbook://item-stick">sticks</a> and <a href="handbook://item-drygrass">dry grass</a>.<br><br><strong>Combat</strong><br>To hunt and kill in the stone age, craft yourself a <a href="handbook://item-spear-generic-flint">spear</a> or <a href="handbook://item-club-generic-wood">wooden club</a>. Put together some <a href="handbook://item-armor-body-improvised-wood">improvised armor</a> for some very basic protection.<br><br><strong>Shelter</strong><br>It is a good idea to build a small shelter before the night sets. Useful stone age building materials are <a href="handbook://block-cob-none">cob</a>, <a href="handbook://block-soil-low-none">soil</a>, <a href="handbook://block-packeddirt">packed dirt</a>, <a href="handbook://block-cobblestone-granite">cobble stone</a> from ruins and <a href="handbook://block-log-placed-oak-ud">logs.</a><br><br><strong>Preparing for winter</strong><br>On standard worlds, you have about 70 in-game days to prepare for the cold season, where you can no longer grow crops and wild animals yield less meat, and you can also suffer from the cold. It's recommended to stock up on food by <a href="handbook://gamemechanicinfo-foodpreservation">preserving it</a> and <a href="handbook://gamemechanicinfo-animalhusbandry">keeping animals</a>.<br><br>For further progression, see <a href="handbook://craftinginfo-progressionguide">Progression Guide</a>.

The same in Markdown

Quote

**Starter Survival Guide**  
_Survival: The Art of not dying_  
 
Note: This guide is purposely kept short, additional guides are in the Guides tab on the left and a comprehensive survival guide can be found on the [wiki](https://wiki.vintagestory.at/index.php?title=Survival_Guide_-_Your_first_day).  
 
**First tools**  
Find [flint](handbook://item-flint) or hard [stones](handbook://item-stone-granite). They can often be found loose on the ground. When you have 2 of them, shift + right-click to place one on the ground to begin [knapping](handbook://craftinginfo-knapping).  
 
**Expanding inventory**  
Your starting inventory has 10 slots, you can also carry up to 4 baskets or other containers. The most basic one, the [hand basket](handbook://item-basket), requires 10 cattails. Harvest cattails from reeds or papyrus, then hit 'E' to open your inventory to craft. The crafting recipe is on the [hand basket](handbook://item-basket) page.  
 
**Finding food**  
An easy food source is berries from berry bushes. If you are feeling adventurous, attempt to hunt and kill an animal. Cooked cattail roots are a good emergency food. Keep an eye open for crops, they will be valuable food sources in the longer term. Once you found clay, be sure to get into [meal cooking](handbook://craftinginfo-mealcooking) to greatly improve your nutrition intake.  
 
**Fire / Light**  
[Knap](handbook://craftinginfo-knapping) a knife and use it to gather [grass](handbook://item-drygrass). Place the grass on the ground, add 4 pieces of [fire wood](handbook://item-firewood) and ignite it with a [Firestarter](handbook://item-firestarter). You can now use the firepit to cook roots and meat, or light torches that can be made from [sticks](handbook://item-stick) and [dry grass](handbook://item-drygrass).  
 
**Combat**  
To hunt and kill in the stone age, craft yourself a [spear](handbook://item-spear-generic-flint) or [wooden club](handbook://item-club-generic-wood). Put together some [improvised armor](handbook://item-armor-body-improvised-wood) for some very basic protection.  
 
**Shelter**  
It is a good idea to build a small shelter before the night sets. Useful stone age building materials are [cob](handbook://block-cob-none), [soil](handbook://block-soil-low-none), [packed dirt](handbook://block-packeddirt), [cobble stone](handbook://block-cobblestone-granite) from ruins and [logs.](handbook://block-log-placed-oak-ud)  
 
**Preparing for winter**  
On standard worlds, you have about 70 in-game days to prepare for the cold season, where you can no longer grow crops and wild animals yield less meat, and you can also suffer from the cold. It's recommended to stock up on food by [preserving it](handbook://gamemechanicinfo-foodpreservation) and [keeping animals](handbook://gamemechanicinfo-animalhusbandry).  
 
For further progression, see [Progression Guide](handbook://craftinginfo-progressionguide).

I think it is obvious what is easier to read and edit.

Wouldn't this be an option?

[Thorfinn]

There are plenty of converters. Just do a search for them. There used to even be a plugin for Notepad++ that did it, though I do not think it has been updated, so may not work anymore. The N++ Hex editor plugin that has not been updated is a bit flaky.

Feel free to convert, edit, convert back, make sure your edits worked as you intended, then submit.

[daretmavi]

Yes it's a pain to translate it.
Even worse than the format is, that Crowdin always forget the whole text (no matter how small the change in the handbook is) and I have to compare my old en.json with the new one to find out differences.

[Voxelman]

The whole process is horrible. Is it possible to upload a whole json file? If it is possible would it overwrite any translation made by others in the meantime?