How to use color in text with ReStructured Text (rst2html.py) or how to insert HTML tags without blank lines?

Question

How can I use color with ReStructured Text? For example, **hello** translates into hello. How can I make ReStructure(r

Answer 1

Sphinx already supports colors with the s5defs.txt standard definition file intended for inclusion (but is missing the CSS file):

1. Create/append this text to the value of rst_epilog sphinx configuration, in your docs/conf.py file:

   rst_prolog = """
   .. include:: 
   .. default-role::
   
   """
   

2. Follow Sphinx's instructions to add a css with the colors (e.g. adopt the hack.css from @Næreen's answer):

   • Place your css file into e.g. _static/css/s4defs-roles.css;

   • append it's path into shtml_css_files sphinx configuration:

     html_css_files = [
         'css/s4defs-roles.css',
     ]
     

You may then use:

Some :red:`colored text` at last!

TIP: Read this SO if you also want the styling to appear in Latex output.