YAML Parser in C#

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Introduction

YAML is a human-friendly, cross language, Unicode based data serialization language designed around the common native data types of agile programming languages. It is broadly useful for programming needs ranging from configuration files to Internet messaging to object persistence to data auditing.

Visit Official YAML Web Site for more information.

YAML Basic

One YAML file may contain zero or more YAML documents, separated by document markers.

One YAML document contains one root DataItem.

There are three types of DataItems: Scalar, Sequence and Mapping. DataItems may be nested to form structured data.

Each DataItem type has several formatting styles for good human readability.

Some rules:

• Block style item can be nested to block style item but not flow style item.
• Flow style item can be nested to either block style or flow style item.
• Block structure is denoted by indentation.
• All indentations only use space char, tab is not allowed.

Here are some examples:

Block Scalar:

Literal Text

|
The text using
literal style.

|-
The text using
literal style.

Folded Text

>
The text using
folded style.

>-
The text using
folded style.

Flow Scalar

Plain Text

'Single Quoted Text'

"Double Quoted Text"

Sequence:

- Item one
- Item two
- Item three 

[Item one, Item two,
Item three]

Mapping:

Key1: Item one
Key2: Item two
? Key3
: Item three 

{Key1: Item one, Key2: Item two, 
Key3: Item three} 

Other:

Anchor and Alias

Key1: &items
  A: Item A
  B: Item B
Key2: *items

Key1:
  A: Item A
  B: Item B
Key2:
  A: Item A
  B: Item B

Comment

# whole line comment
Data Item # inline comment

Background

There is already a Yaml Library for .NET project, but the features supported are limited.

Using the Code

The parser code is generated using a homemade tool based on grammar specified in YAML.PEG.txt file. This grammar is not completely equal to the official YAML Specification. Here are some differences:

A separator “,” is not allowed following the last entry of Sequence or Mapping in this parser.
The 32-bit Unicode escape sequence “U” ( ns-hex-digit × 8 ) is not supported.

The parser can be used like this:

YamlParser parser = new YamlParser();
TextInput input = new TextInput(File.ReadAllText(yamlFilePath));
bool success;
YamlStream yamlStream = parser.ParseYamlStream(input, out success);
if (success)
{
    foreach (YamlDocument doc in yamlStream.Documents)
    {
        // access DataItem by doc.Root
    }
}
else
{
    MessageBox.Show(parser.GetEorrorMessages());
}

Or:

YamlStream yamlStream = YamlParser.Load(yamlFilePath);

Points of Interest

The main shortcoming of this parser is that error messages are not intuitive. You are welcome to give suggestions.

History

• 2008-08-21 Article submitted