tchMaterial-parser is a desktop application that downloads electronic textbooks from China's National Smart Education Platform.
The tool solves the problem of obtaining PDF files of digital textbooks from the platform by parsing textbook preview pages and extracting download links. It automates the retrieval process, allowing users to input one or multiple preview page URLs and receive the corresponding PDF files. The application automatically names files based on textbook titles and can add PDF bookmarks to enable convenient navigation within downloaded documents.
Developers and educators in regions using the National Smart Education Platform should consider this tool if they need to batch download textbooks for offline access or archival purposes. The tool is designed for straightforward use without requiring technical configuration, though it does support optional manual input of Access Tokens for enhanced functionality. It provides resource search capabilities filtered by name, educational level, subject, and grade, with a graphical interface that adapts to high-resolution displays and system-wide light or dark mode preferences. The application runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, with precompiled binaries available for multiple architectures, and can also be installed via package managers on Windows and Arch Linux systems.
The project demonstrates active community engagement with regular updates addressing user feedback. Development shows responsiveness to platform changes and user-reported issues, with maintenance focused on improving compatibility across operating systems and refining the user interface for different display configurations. The codebase maintains Python as its primary implementation language, supporting installation from source for users on systems without precompiled binaries.
