Y
YAML
A human-friendly data serialisation format commonly used for configuration files and data exchange.
In-Depth Explanation
YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is a human-readable data serialisation format. It's commonly used for configuration files where readability and ease of editing are priorities.
YAML features:
- Indentation-based structure (no brackets)
- Comments supported (#)
- Multi-line strings
- References and anchors
- Type inference
Common uses:
- Configuration files (Docker, Kubernetes)
- CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab)
- OpenAPI specifications
- Ansible playbooks
- Data serialisation
YAML vs JSON:
- YAML: More readable, comments, complex types
- JSON: Simpler, broader language support
- YAML is a superset of JSON
Syntax examples:
- Lists: use dashes (-)
- Maps: use colons (:)
- Strings: usually unquoted
- Multi-line: use | or >
Business Context
YAML dominates DevOps and infrastructure configuration, valued for its readability and ability to include comments.
How Clever Ops Uses This
We use YAML for infrastructure and automation configuration for Australian businesses, leveraging its readability for maintainable deployments.
Example Use Case
"A Docker Compose file defining services, networks, and volumes in a readable format that developers can easily understand and modify."