YAML
- Yet Another Markup Language.
YAML is one of the most popular data serialization languages. Its popularity stems from its
simplicity, as well as the fact that it is human-readable and simple to understand. YAML's
structure is case-sensitive and similar to a markup language.
YAML is a data serialization language that allows you to store complex data in a compact and
readable format. It’s important for DevOps and virtualization because it’s essential in making
efficient data management systems and automation.
It is similar to XML and JSON files but uses a more minimalist syntax even while maintaining
similar capabilities. YAML is commonly used to create configuration files in Infrastructure as
Code (IoC) programs or to manage containers in the DevOps development pipeline.
As more and more companies embrace DevOps and Virtualization, YAML is quickly becoming a
must-have skill for modern developer positions. YAML is also easy to incorporate with existing
technologies through the support of popular technologies like Python using PyYAML library,
Docker, or Ansible.
YAML BulletPoints:
It is a data serialization language that works well with the modern programming
language, and it is human-friendly.
Its popularity stems from its simplicity, as well as the fact that it is human-readable and
simple to understand.
YAML's structure is case-sensitive and similar to a markup language
YAML is case sensitive.
YAML is language independent. If we define the YAML once, the same YAML file can be
invoked in Python file, Ruby, etc.
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YAML is a straightforward, domain-specific language that can represent just about
anything hierarchically.
It is commonly used for configuration files, but it is used in many applications where data
is being stored and transmitted over the network.
YAML is a superset of JSON with additional features like 'newline' and 'indentation'.
YAML is a scripting language, means we can communicate with other languages. Other
languages means, it may be OS, any applications or services running on OS.
YAML is a mechanism to describe server configurations, container deployments and
other IT operations.
Syntax:
The files should have .yaml or .yml as the extension
YAML is case sensitive scripting language.
YAML does not allow the use of tabs while creating YAML files; spaces are
allowed instead
Strings are enclosed in quotes
Use Case: YAML is best for data-heavy apps that use DevOps pipelines or VMs. It’s also helpful
for when other developers on your team will work with this data often and therefore need it to be
more readable.
YAML used for:
YAML has wide use cases. However, it is most-used in configuration file creation.
Because of its impressive code readability, it’s now used everywhere in the place of
JSON. So, anyone willing to prepare configuration files now prefers YAML.
Its syntax also used widely in Kubernetes services.
If you use Ansible, you can use YAML for creating Ansible playbooks.
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All of these factors contribute to YAML’s popularity as a configuration language in the
DevOps domain, where it is widely used with well-known tools such as Kubernetes,
Ansible, Terraform, and many others.
