Fix #405: no spurious space between emphasis and following punctuation

AUTHORS.rst

@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ The AUTHORS/Contributors are (and/or have been):
 * Edward Ross <gh: EdwardJRoss>
 * Gregory Anders <gh: gpanders>
 * Alex Vandiver <gh: alexmv>
+* Anis <gh: assinscreedFC>
 
 Maintainer:
 

ChangeLog.rst

@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+Unreleased
+==========
+----
+
+* Fix #405: Don't insert a spurious space between a closing emphasis marker and following punctuation.
+
 2025.4.15
 =========
 ----

html2text/__init__.py

@@ -881,11 +881,15 @@ def handle_data(self, data: str, entity_char: bool = False) -> None:
             self.preceding_stressed = True
         elif self.preceding_stressed:
             if (
-                re.match(r"[^][(){}\s.!?]", data[0])
+                re.match(r"\w", data[0])
                 and not hn(self.current_tag)
                 and self.current_tag not in ["a", "code", "pre"]
             ):
-                # should match a letter or common punctuation
+                # A following word character (letter, digit or underscore)
+                # attaches to the closing emphasis marker and stops Markdown
+                # from recognising it, so the separating space is needed only
+                # before word characters -- not before punctuation, which
+                # previously received a spurious space.
                 data = " " + data
             self.preceding_stressed = False
 

test/emphasis_punctuation.html

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<p>An <em>emphasized</em>, then <em>another</em>: also <em>more</em>; right?</p>
+<p>A <strong>strong</strong>, and a quote <em>here</em>"end".</p>
+<p><em>word</em>boundary keeps its space, as does a digit <em>v</em>2.</p>
+<p>No space before an apostrophe: <em>cat</em>'s tail.</p>

test/emphasis_punctuation.md

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+An _emphasized_, then _another_: also _more_; right?
+
+A **strong**, and a quote _here_"end".
+
+_word_ boundary keeps its space, as does a digit _v_ 2.
+
+No space before an apostrophe: _cat_'s tail.
+