Fixing a malformed AST

README.md

I have a bunch of docx files with deep outlines (up to 6 levels deep) in them. The author tried to apply Word's heading styles to each level but for some reason it didn't work as expected.

My goal is to develop a pandoc.org filter which would help me automatically transform from what you can see in original-from-docx.txt to what can be seen in expected-filtered-output.txt. Needless to say this is just a sample of the 268 pages docx file I'm processing.

This is the command I'm running to generate original-from-docx.txt:

pandoc -f docx -t markdown -S -o original-from-docx.txt outline.docx

I'm needing to develop a filter that would:

1. convert hard line breaks into proper paragraph breaks.
2. for each new list item, take it's first paragraph, remove any formatting and convert it into a heading according to its nesting level.

But I'm open to other ideas :)

expected-filtered-output.txt

I.  # Torts generally

    A “tort” generally arises where a person acts, with the requisite
    level of culpability, in such a way as to cause legally-cognizable
    harm to another person. The law will provide the person who suffered
    harm with a civil remedy against the person whose wrongful act
    caused the harm. The remedy usually takes the form of money damages.
    \[See Black’s Law Dictionary (10th Ed. 2014), tort.\]

    A.  ## Act

        An “act,” for purposes of tort law, may consist of either an
        “act of commission” or an “act of omission.” \[*See* Black’s Law
        Dictionary (10^th^ Ed. 2014), *act*.\]

        1.  ### Act of commission

            An “act of commission” consists of what most people might
            think of as a “positive act” or an “affirmative act.” The
            term refers to a movement of the body (especially a
            voluntary movement) that produces a discernible effect in
            the external world.

            *Example:* An adolescent boy sees an adolescent girl
            walking by. The boy extends his foot in such a way as to
            cause the girl to trip and injure herself. This is an “act
            of commission.” The boy’s extension of his foot was a
            voluntary bodily act, which was intended to—and did—produce
            the external effect of causing the girl to trip.

        2.  ### Act of omission

            An “act of omission” arises when a person fails to do
            something, under circumstances where the law imposes an
            affirmative duty to do something. \[*See Black’s Law
            Dictionary* (10^th^ Ed. 2014), *act of omission, negative
            act*.\]

original-from-docx.txt

I.  <span id="_Toc420059985" class="anchor"></span>**Torts generally**\
    A “tort” generally arises where a person acts, with the requisite
    level of culpability, in such a way as to cause legally-cognizable
    harm to another person. The law will provide the person who suffered
    harm with a civil remedy against the person whose wrongful act
    caused the harm. The remedy usually takes the form of money damages.
    \[See Black’s Law Dictionary (10th Ed. 2014), tort.\]

    A.  <span id="_Toc420059986" class="anchor"></span>**Act\
        **An “act,” for purposes of tort law, may consist of either an
        “act of commission” or an “act of omission.” \[*See* Black’s Law
        Dictionary (10^th^ Ed. 2014), *act*.\]

        1.  **Act of commission**\
            An “act of commission” consists of what most people might
            think of as a “positive act” or an “affirmative act.” The
            term refers to a movement of the body (especially a
            voluntary movement) that produces a discernible effect in
            the external world.

            *Example:* An adolescent boy sees an adolescent girl
            walking by. The boy extends his foot in such a way as to
            cause the girl to trip and injure herself. This is an “act
            of commission.” The boy’s extension of his foot was a
            voluntary bodily act, which was intended to—and did—produce
            the external effect of causing the girl to trip.

        2.  **Act of omission**\
            An “act of omission” arises when a person fails to do
            something, under circumstances where the law imposes an
            affirmative duty to do something. \[*See Black’s Law
            Dictionary* (10^th^ Ed. 2014), *act of omission, negative
            act*.\]