YAML

YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language) is a human-readable data serialization language. It is commonly used for configuration files, but could be used in many applications where data is being stored or transmitted. YAML was first proposed by Clark Evans in 2001, who designed it together with Ingy döt Net and Oren Ben-Kiki.

YAML is a recursive acronym that stands for "YAML Ain’t Markup Language". It is a data serialization language designed to be both human-readable and machine-readable. It is commonly used for configuration files, but could also be used in many other applications where data needs to be stored or transmitted. YAML has a consistent model to provide predictable results and uses indentation to indicate structure.

YAML documents are composed of one or more nodes, which can contain scalar values (strings, numbers, booleans), sequences (arrays), mappings (hashes/dictionaries), or references to other nodes. Nodes are separated by whitespace and can contain comments as well as other nodes. YAML also supports aliases, which allow the same node to appear multiple times in the same document without having to duplicate its content.

The syntax of YAML is based on the concepts of indentation and whitespace sensitivity. Indentation indicates the level of nesting within a document, while whitespace sensitivity allows for more concise documents by allowing multiple lines of text to be represented on one line if they are indented at the same level. This makes it easier for humans to read and write YAML documents without having to worry about formatting issues such as line breaks or extra spaces between words.

YAML also supports tags, which allow developers to specify the type of data contained within a node so that it can be interpreted correctly by different applications that may use different types of data structures internally. For example, if an application expects an integer value but receives a string value instead, it can use the tag associated with the node containing the string value to determine how it should interpret that value. This makes it easier for developers to create interoperable applications that can work with different types of data without having to manually convert them into compatible formats each time they need them.

In addition to its syntax features, YAML also provides several tools for working with documents written in its format such as parsers and validators which help ensure that documents conform to its specifications before they are used in an application or transmitted over a network connection. This helps reduce errors caused by incorrect formatting or invalid values being passed into an application or system component which could cause unexpected behavior or even crashes if not caught early enough during development or testing phases.

YAML is a powerful and versatile data serialization language that can be used in many different applications. Its syntax is designed to be both human-readable and machine-readable, making it easier for developers to create interoperable applications that can work with different types of data without having to manually convert them into compatible formats each time they need them. It also provides several tools for working with documents written in its format, such as parsers and validators, which help ensure that documents conform to its specifications before they are used in an application or transmitted over a network connection.