Pandoc filter for replacing quotation marks

quotes.lua

local double_quotes = {"»", "«"}
local single_quotes = {"›", "‹"}

function get_preferences(m)
    if m.double_quotes and m.double_quotes[1] and m.double_quotes[2] then
        double_quotes = { m.double_quotes[1][1].c, m.double_quotes[2][1].c }
    end
    if m.single_quotes and m.single_quotes[1] and m.single_quotes[2] then
        single_quotes = { m.single_quotes[1][1].c, m.single_quotes[2][1].c }
    end
end

function replace_quotes(elem)
    local quotes = double_quotes
    if elem.quotetype == "SingleQuote" then
        quotes = single_quotes
    end
    return {pandoc.Str(quotes[1])} .. elem.content .. {pandoc.Str(quotes[2])}
end

return {
    { Meta = get_preferences },
    { Quoted = replace_quotes },
}

Cool, exactly what I was looking for!

But I don't understand why the quotes are "inverted": I had to modify like this:

return {pandoc.Str(quotes[2])} .. elem.content .. {pandoc.Str(quotes[1])} 

Or am I missing smthg?

Some languages use guillemets pointing inwards (German) instead of outwards (French). I wrote this for a German text, so it's using inwards pointing guillemets.

OK good to know!