# File markup/simple_markup.rb, line 249
    def convert(str, op)
      @lines = Lines.new(str.split(/\r?\n/).collect { |aLine| 
                           Line.new(aLine) })
      return "" if @lines.empty?
      @lines.normalize
      assign_types_to_lines
      group = group_lines
      # call the output formatter to handle the result
      #      group.to_a.each {|i| p i}
      group.accept(@am, op)
    end