How to programmatically create a notebook from a list of Input Cell[]'s with syntax highlighting?

Question

consider the following list of Cell[]'s:

cells = {
         Cell[
              "foo=\"string1\";(*comment*)bar=\"string2\";"
            , "Input"
         ]
        ,Cell[
              "foo=\"string1\";(*comment*)bar=\"string2\";"
            , "Input"]
        };
nb = Notebook[{cells}];
SystemOpen@Export[$HomeDirectory <> "/notebook.nb", nb]

Using the Notebook function, I can create and export a notebook, but there is no syntax highlighting.

Answer 1

You need to add BoxData to mark it StandardForm as opposed to a plain text content. Notice that as soon as the notebook is created or exported the text content will be automatically converted to a box expression.

cells = {
   Cell["foo=\"string1\";(*comment*)bar=\"string2\";", "Input"], 
   Cell["foo=\"string1\";(*comment*)bar=\"string2\";", "Input"]
   };
nb = Notebook[MapAt[BoxData, cells, {All, 1}]];

Export[FileNameJoin[{$TemporaryDirectory, "test.nb"}], nb]

NotebookOpen@%