Markdown emphasis

tests.py

@@ -3288,17 +3288,29 @@ def testMarkdownToHtml():
     markdown = 'This is just plain text'
     assert markdownToHtml(markdown) == markdown
 
+    markdown = 'This is **bold**'
+    assert markdownToHtml(markdown) == 'This is <b>bold</b>'
+
+    markdown = 'This is *italic*'
+    assert markdownToHtml(markdown) == 'This is <i>italic</i>'
+
+    markdown = 'This is _underlined_'
+    assert markdownToHtml(markdown) == 'This is <ul>underlined</ul>'
+
+    markdown = 'This is **just** plain text'
+    assert markdownToHtml(markdown) == 'This is <b>just</b> plain text'
+
     markdown = '# Title1\n### Title3\n## Title2\n'
     assert markdownToHtml(markdown) == \
         '<h1>Title1</h1><h3>Title3</h3><h2>Title2</h2>'
 
     markdown = \
-        'This is [a link](https://something.somewhere) to something\n' + \
+        'This is [a link](https://something.somewhere) to something.\n' + \
         'And [something else](https://cat.pic).'
     assert markdownToHtml(markdown) == \
         'This is <a href="https://something.somewhere" ' + \
         'target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">' + \
-        'a link</a> to something<br>' + \
+        'a link</a> to something.<br>' + \
         'And <a href="https://cat.pic" ' + \
         'target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">' + \
         'something else</a>.'

webapp_utils.py

@@ -21,9 +21,34 @@ from content import addHtmlTags
 from content import replaceEmojiFromTags
 
 
+def _markdownEmphasisHtml(markdown: str) -> str:
+    """Add italics and bold html markup to the given markdown
+    """
+    punctuation = ('.', ';', ':')
+    noPunctuation = markdown
+    for ch in punctuation:
+        noPunctuation = noPunctuation.replace(ch, ' ')
+    wordList = noPunctuation.split(' ')
+    replacements = {}
+    for word in wordList:
+        if word.startswith('**') and word.endswith('**'):
+            replacements[word] = \
+                '<b>' + word.replace('*', '') + '</b>'
+        elif word.startswith('*') and word.endswith('*'):
+            replacements[word] = \
+                '<i>' + word.replace('*', '') + '</i>'
+        elif word.startswith('_') and word.endswith('_'):
+            replacements[word] = \
+                '<ul>' + word.replace('_', '') + '</ul>'
+    for md, html in replacements.items():
+        markdown = markdown.replace(md, html)
+    return markdown
+
+
 def markdownToHtml(markdown: str) -> str:
     """Converts markdown formatted text to html
     """
+    markdown = _markdownEmphasisHtml(markdown)
     # replace markdown style links with html links
     replaceLinks = {}
     text = markdown