whats_new_links.py

import re
import os

# find existing links
matches = []
with open('whats_new.rst', 'r') as f:
    for line in f.readlines():
        m = re.search('`[A-Za-z üéö@.ä-]*`_', line)
        if m is not None:
            matches.append(m.group(0))

# remove empty link and duplicates
matches = list(set(matches))
matches.remove('``_')

# find names without links and add a link
with open('whats_new.rst', 'r') as f:
    out = open('whats_new.rst2', "w")
    for line in f.readlines():
        for match in matches:
            line = re.sub(' ' + match[1:-2], ' ' + match, line)
        out.write(line)
    out.close()
    os.rename('whats_new.rst2', 'whats_new.rst')