YAML

YAML is the most common human-authored configuration format. STYX addresses several YAML pain points while preserving readability.

Simple object

yaml

name: alice
age: 30

styx

name alice
age 30

Nested configuration

yaml

server:
  host: localhost
  port: 8080
  tls:
    enabled: true
    cert: /path/to/cert.pem

styx

server {
  host localhost
  port 8080
  tls {
    enabled true
    cert /path/to/cert.pem
  }
}

Lists

yaml

features:
  - auth
  - logging
  - metrics

styx

features (
  auth
  logging
  metrics
)

yaml

features: [auth, logging, metrics]

styx

features (auth logging metrics)

The Norway problem

YAML's implicit typing causes bugs:

yaml

countries:
  - GB    # string
  - NO    # boolean false!
  - IE    # string

styx

countries (GB NO IE)

In STYX, NO is always the text NO. The deserializer interprets based on target type.

Kubernetes-style config

yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: my-service
  labels:
    app: web
    tier: frontend
spec:
  ports:
    - port: 80
      targetPort: 8080
  selector:
    app: web

styx

apiVersion v1
kind Service
metadata {
  name my-service
  labels app=web tier=frontend
}
spec {
  ports ({
    port 80
    targetPort 8080
  })
  selector app=web
}

Indentation vs delimiters

yaml

server:
  host: localhost
  port: 8080
    extra: oops

styx

server {
  host localhost
  port 8080
  extra oops
}

YAML's indentation can cause subtle bugs. STYX structure is always explicit.

Anchors and aliases

yaml

defaults: &defaults
  timeout: 30s
  retries: 3

production:
  <<: *defaults
  timeout: 60s

styx

defaults {
  timeout 30s
  retries 3
}
production {
  timeout 60s
  retries 3
}

STYX does not support references. Use application-level merging instead.