YAML - YAML Ain't Markup Language (tm)
use YAML;
# Load a YAML stream of 3 YAML documents into Perl data structures.
my ($hashref, $arrayref, $string) = Load(<<'...');
---
name: ingy
age: old
weight: heavy
# I should comment that I also like pink, but don't tell anybody.
favorite colors:
- red
- green
- blue
---
- Clark Evans
- Oren Ben-Kiki
- Ingy döt Net
--- >
You probably think YAML stands for "Yet Another Markup Language". It
ain't! YAML is really a data serialization language. But if you want
to think of it as a markup, that's OK with me. A lot of people try
to use XML as a serialization format.
"YAML" is catchy and fun to say. Try it. "YAML, YAML, YAML!!!"
...
# Dump the Perl data structures back into YAML.
print Dump($string, $arrayref, $hashref);
# YAML::Dump is used the same way you'd use Data::Dumper::Dumper
use Data::Dumper;
print Dumper($string, $arrayref, $hashref);
The YAML.pm module implements a YAML Loader and Dumper based on the YAML 1.0 specification. http://www.yaml.org/spec/
YAML is a generic data serialization language that is optimized for human readability. It can be used to express the data structures of most modern programming languages. (Including Perl!!!)
For information on the YAML syntax, please refer to the YAML specification.
Using modules like Data::Dumper for serialization is fine as long as you
can be sure that nobody can tamper with your data files or
transmissions. That's because you need to use Perl's eval() built-in
to deserialize the data. Somebody could add a snippet of Perl to erase
your files.
YAML's parser does not need to eval anything.
YAML can accurately serialize all of the common Perl data structures and deserialize them again without losing data relationships. Although it is not 100% perfect (no serializer is or can be perfect), it fares as well as the popular current modules: Data::Dumper, Storable, XML::Dumper and Data::Denter.
YAML.pm also has the ability to handle code (subroutine) references and typeglobs. (Still experimental) These features are not found in Perl's other serialization modules.
This module, YAML.pm, is really just the interface module for YAML
modules written in Perl. The basic interface for YAML consists of two
functions: Dump and Load. The real work is done by the modules
YAML::Dumper and YAML::Loader.
Different YAML module distributions can be created by subclassing YAML.pm and YAML::Loader and YAML::Dumper. For example, YAML-Simple consists of YAML::Simple YAML::Dumper::Simple and YAML::Loader::Simple.
Why would there be more than one implementation of YAML? Well, despite YAML's offering of being a simple data format, YAML is actually very deep and complex. Implementing the entirety of the YAML specification is a daunting task.
For this reason I am currently working on 3 different YAML implementations.
libsyck is the C based YAML processing library used by the Ruby
programming language (and also Python, PHP and Pugs). YAML::Syck is the
Perl binding to libsyck. It should be very fast, but may have
problems of its own. It will also require C compilation.
NOTE: Audrey Tang has actually completed this module and it works great and is 10 times faster than YAML.pm.
In the future, there will likely be even more YAML modules. Remember, people other than Ingy are allowed to write YAML modules!
YAML is completely OO under the hood. Still it exports a few useful top level functions so that it is dead simple to use. These functions just do the OO stuff for you. If you want direct access to the OO API see the documentation for YAML::Dumper and YAML::Loader.
The following functions are exported by YAML.pm by default. The reason they are exported is so that YAML works much like Data::Dumper. If you don't want functions to be imported, just use YAML with an empty import list:
use YAML ();
These functions are not exported by default but you can request them in an import list like this:
use YAML qw'freeze thaw Bless';
Associate a normal Perl node, with a yaml node. A yaml node is an object tied to the YAML::Node class. The second argument is either a yaml node that you've already created or a class (package) name that supports a yaml_dump() function. A yaml_dump() function should take a perl node and return a yaml node. If no second argument is provided, Bless will create a yaml node. This node is not returned, but can be retrieved with the Blessed() function.
Here's an example of how to use Bless. Say you have a hash containing three keys, but you only want to dump two of them. Furthermore the keys must be dumped in a certain order. Here's how you do that:
use YAML qw(Dump Bless);
$hash = {apple => 'good', banana => 'bad', cauliflower => 'ugly'};
print Dump $hash;
Bless($hash)->keys(['banana', 'apple']);
print Dump $hash;
produces:
---
apple: good
banana: bad
cauliflower: ugly
---
banana: bad
apple: good
Bless returns the tied part of a yaml-node, so that you can call the YAML::Node methods. This is the same thing that YAML::Node::ynode() returns. So another way to do the above example is:
use YAML qw(Dump Bless);
use YAML::Node;
$hash = {apple => 'good', banana => 'bad', cauliflower => 'ugly'};
print Dump $hash;
Bless($hash);
$ynode = ynode(Blessed($hash));
$ynode->keys(['banana', 'apple']);
print Dump $hash;
Note that Blessing a Perl data structure does not change it anyway. The extra information is stored separately and looked up by the Blessed node's memory address.
YAML options are set using a group of global variables in the YAML namespace. This is similar to how Data::Dumper works.
For example, to change the indentation width, do something like:
local $YAML::Indent = 3;
The current options are:
This is the number of space characters to use for each indentation level when doing a Dump(). The default is 2.
By the way, YAML can use any number of characters for indentation at any level. So if you are editing YAML by hand feel free to do it anyway that looks pleasing to you; just be consistent for a given level.
Default is 1. (true)
Tells YAML.pm whether or not to sort hash keys when storing a document.
YAML::Node objects can have their own sort order, which is usually what you want. To override the YAML::Node order and sort the keys anyway, set SortKeys to 2.
Default is 0. (false)
Objects with string overloading should honor the overloading and dump the stringification of themselves, rather than the actual object's guts.
Default is 1. (true)
This tells YAML.pm whether to use a separator string for a Dump operation. This only applies to the first document in a stream. Subsequent documents must have a YAML header by definition.
Default is 0. (false)
Tells YAML.pm whether to include the YAML version on the separator/header.
--- %YAML:1.0
Default is ''.
Anchor names are normally numeric. YAML.pm simply starts with '1' and increases by one for each new anchor. This option allows you to specify a string to be prepended to each anchor number.
Determines if and how YAML.pm should serialize Perl code references. By default YAML.pm will dump code references as dummy placeholders (much like Data::Dumper). If DumpCode is set to '1' or 'deparse', code references will be dumped as actual Perl code.
DumpCode can also be set to a subroutine reference so that you can write your own serializing routine. YAML.pm passes you the code ref. You pass back the serialization (as a string) and a format indicator. The format indicator is a simple string like: 'deparse' or 'bytecode'.
LoadCode is the opposite of DumpCode. It tells YAML if and how to
deserialize code references. When set to '1' or 'deparse' it will use
eval(). Since this is potentially risky, only use this option if you
know where your YAML has been.
LoadCode can also be set to a subroutine reference so that you can write your own deserializing routine. YAML.pm passes the serialization (as a string) and a format indicator. You pass back the code reference.
YAML.pm uses heuristics to guess which scalar style is best for a given node. Sometimes you'll want all multiline scalars to use the 'block' style. If so, set this option to 1.
NOTE: YAML's block style is akin to Perl's here-document.
If you want to force YAML to use the 'folded' style for all multiline scalars, then set $UseFold to 1.
NOTE: YAML's folded style is akin to the way HTML folds text, except smarter.
YAML has an alias mechanism such that any given structure in memory gets serialized once. Any other references to that structure are serialized only as alias markers. This is how YAML can serialize duplicate and recursive structures.
Sometimes, when you KNOW that your data is nonrecursive in nature, you may want to serialize such that every node is expressed in full. (ie as a copy of the original). Setting $YAML::UseAliases to 0 will allow you to do this. This also may result in faster processing because the lookup overhead is by bypassed.
THIS OPTION CAN BE DANGEROUS. *If* your data is recursive, this option *will* cause Dump() to run in an endless loop, chewing up your computers memory. You have been warned.
Default is 1.
Compresses the formatting of arrays of hashes:
-
foo: bar
-
bar: foo
becomes:
- foo: bar
- bar: foo
Since this output is usually more desirable, this option is turned on by default.
YAML is a full featured data serialization language, and thus has its own terminology.
It is important to remember that although YAML is heavily influenced by Perl and Python, it is a language in its own right, not merely just a representation of Perl structures.
YAML has three constructs that are conspicuously similar to Perl's hash, array, and scalar. They are called mapping, sequence, and string respectively. By default, they do what you would expect. But each instance may have an explicit or implicit tag (type) that makes it behave differently. In this manner, YAML can be extended to represent Perl's Glob or Python's tuple, or Ruby's Bigint.
A YAML stream is the full sequence of unicode characters that a YAML parser would read or a YAML emitter would write. A stream may contain one or more YAML documents separated by YAML headers.
---
a: mapping
foo: bar
---
- a
- sequence
A YAML document is an independent data structure representation within a stream. It is a top level node. Each document in a YAML stream must begin with a YAML header line. Actually the header is optional on the first document.
---
This: top level mapping
is:
- a
- YAML
- document
A YAML header is a line that begins a YAML document. It consists of three dashes, possibly followed by more info. Another purpose of the header line is that it serves as a place to put top level tag and anchor information.
--- !recursive-sequence &001
- * 001
- * 001
This is similar to a type. It indicates how a particular YAML node serialization should be transferred into or out of memory. For instance a Foo::Bar object would use the tag 'perl/Foo::Bar':
- !perl/Foo::Bar
foo: 42
bar: stool
A mapping is a YAML collection defined by unordered key/value pairs with unique keys. By default YAML mappings are loaded into Perl hashes.
a mapping:
foo: bar
two: times two is 4
A sequence is a YAML collection defined by an ordered list of elements. By default YAML sequences are loaded into Perl arrays.
a sequence:
- one bourbon
- one scotch
- one beer
A scalar is a YAML node that is a single value. By default YAML scalars are loaded into Perl scalars.
a scalar key: a scalar value
YAML has many styles for representing scalars. This is important because varying data will have varying formatting requirements to retain the optimum human readability.
A plain sclar is unquoted. All plain scalars are automatic candidates for "implicit tagging". This means that their tag may be determined automatically by examination. The typical uses for this are plain alpha strings, integers, real numbers, dates, times and currency.
- a plain string
- -42
- 3.1415
- 12:34
- 123 this is an error
This is similar to Perl's use of single quotes. It means no escaping except for single quotes which are escaped by using two adjacent single quotes.
- 'When I say ''\n'' I mean "backslash en"'
This is similar to Perl's use of double quotes. Character escaping can be used.
- "This scalar\nhas two lines, and a bell -->\a"
This is a multiline scalar which begins on the next line. It is indicated by a single right angle bracket. It is unescaped like the single quoted scalar. Line folding is also performed.
- >
This is a multiline scalar which begins on
the next line. It is indicated by a single
carat. It is unescaped like the single
quoted scalar. Line folding is also
performed.
This final multiline form is akin to Perl's here-document except that (as in all YAML data) scope is indicated by indentation. Therefore, no ending marker is required. The data is verbatim. No line folding.
- |
QTY DESC PRICE TOTAL
--- ---- ----- -----
1 Foo Fighters $19.95 $19.95
2 Bar Belles $29.95 $59.90
A YAML processor has four stages: parse, load, dump, emit.
A parser parses a YAML stream. YAML.pm's Load() function contains a parser.
The emitter takes info from the dumper and turns it into a YAML stream.
NOTE: In YAML.pm the parser/loader and the dumper/emitter code are currently very closely tied together. In the future they may be broken into separate stages.
For more information please refer to the immensely helpful YAML specification available at http://www.yaml.org/spec/.
The YAML distribution ships with a script called 'ysh', the YAML shell. ysh provides a simple, interactive way to play with YAML. If you type in Perl code, it displays the result in YAML. If you type in YAML it turns it into Perl code.
To run ysh, (assuming you installed it along with YAML.pm) simply type:
ysh [options]
Please read the ysh documentation for the full details. There are
lots of options.
If you find a bug in YAML, please try to recreate it in the YAML Shell with logging turned on ('ysh -L'). When you have successfully reproduced the bug, please mail the LOG file to the author (ingy@cpan.org).
WARNING: This is still *ALPHA* code. Well, most of this code has been around for years...
BIGGER WARNING: YAML.pm has been slow in the making, but I am committed to having top notch YAML tools in the Perl world. The YAML team is close to finalizing the YAML 1.1 spec. This version of YAML.pm is based off of a very old pre 1.0 spec. In actuality there isn't a ton of difference, and this YAML.pm is still fairly useful. Things will get much better in the future.
http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/yaml-core is the mailing list. This is where the language is discussed and designed.
http://www.yaml.org is the official YAML website.
http://www.yaml.org/spec/ is the YAML 1.0 specification.
http://yaml.kwiki.org is the official YAML wiki.
See YAML::Syck. Fast!
Ingy döt Net <ingy@cpan.org>
is resonsible for YAML.pm.
The YAML serialization language is the result of years of collaboration between Oren Ben-Kiki, Clark Evans and Ingy döt Net. Several others have added help along the way.
Copyright (c) 2005, 2006. Ingy döt Net. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2001, 2002, 2005. Brian Ingerson. All rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.