YAML Ain’t Markup Language (YAML)

Overview

YAML Ain’t Markup Language (YAML) is a human-readable data serialization format often used for configuration files and data exchange in software applications, including GIS. YAML emphasizes readability and uses indentation to represent structure.

Key Concepts

Indentation defines structure (spaces, not tabs). Key-value pairs use key: value syntax. Lists use dashes (-) for items. Comments begin with #. Multi-line strings use | or > indicators.

Syntax

# Example YAML configuration
name: Example Project
version: 1.0
settings:
  debug: true
  timeout: 30
layers:
  - name: roads
    type: line
  - name: parcels
    type: polygon

YAML vs JSON

Aspect	YAML	JSON
Readability	More readable	Compact
Comments	Supported	Not supported
Syntax	Indentation-based	Braces/brackets
Complexity	More features	Simpler

Appendix

Created: 2025-12-13 | Modified: 2025-12-13

See Also

• JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)

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