YAML rather than JSON

Read the “Technology’s choices” article to have more context Technology’s choices | LinkedIn YAML rather than JSON YAML, which stands for “YAML Ain’t Markup Language,” is a data serialisation language that is legible by humans and is widely used for configuration files. However, YAML may also be used for data storage. It is comparable to JSON in that it is a method for representing data structures; however, it is simpler to work with than JSON since it is more comprehensible to people and contains less unnecessary words. Indentation is used instead of curly brackets to denote structure in YAML, but curly brackets are used in JSON. This is one of the most significant differences between YAML and JSON. This results in an improvement in YAML’s versatility as well as its readability; nevertheless, it also makes it more prone to formatting errors. YAML is distinguished from other markup languages by its support for a wide variety of data types, including lists, dictionaries, strings, integers, Boolean values, and null values. This is still another point of differentiation. On the other hand, the only sorts of data that may be stored in JSON documents are strings, numbers, Boolean values, and null values. YAML is often an excellent choice for use in configuration files and other applications where readability and usability are of the utmost importance. When moving data from one system to another, JSON is frequently the best choice since it is a more space-efficient format and requires less effort to interpret. YAML is often an excellent choice for use in configuration files and other applications where readability and usability are of the utmost importance. When moving data from one system to another, JSON is frequently the best choice since it is a more space-efficient format and requires less effort to interpret. By choosing YAML as our preferred method of documenting our human inputs, which simplifies the entire process, including the integration with any additional business tools that you might find useful in the future, this book is built on the premise that everything can be expressed and declared as code. Because of this, one of the most important aspects of this book is based on this premise. Please take note that calls made to APIs as well as integrations between processes will continue to make use of JSON. Simply by making this declaration, it becomes into a guiding concept.

Choosing YAML over JSON implies that there are benefits to using a more human-readable format that allows for a more intuitive representation of data. This choice suggests that there are processes that can be started based on human inputs written in YAML, which can facilitate collaboration and reduce the need for manual intervention.

Furthermore, expressing the build of materials (BOM) as YAML allows for quick and easy verification and validation within the organization. This can help to ensure that all necessary materials are included and that there are no errors or omissions that could impact the final product. By using YAML as a standard format for BOMs, organizations can establish a streamlined and efficient process for managing and tracking their inventory, reducing the risk of errors and delays.

Some of the popular tools and frameworks that use YAML include: Kubernetes - a popular container orchestration system that uses YAML files to define configurations for deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications. Ansible - an open-source automation platform that uses YAML files as playbooks to define tasks and configurations for managing IT infrastructure and application deployment. Travis CI - a continuous integration and delivery platform that uses YAML files as configuration files to define build and deployment processes. GitHub Actions - a workflow automation platform that allows developers to define custom actions using YAML files for building, testing, and deploying applications. GitLab CI/CD - a continuous integration and delivery platform that uses YAML files to define build and deployment pipelines for GitLab projects. Jekyll - a static site generator that uses YAML front matter to define metadata for content and configurations for building and deploying websites. Helm - a package manager for Kubernetes that uses YAML files to define charts, which are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. These are just a few examples of the many tools and frameworks that use YAML. YAML’s flexibility and ease of use make it a popular choice for defining configurations and workflows in a variety of domains.