README

This is an exploration of a format for structured text that is:

• Easy for authoring
• Easy to embed other formats
• s ≈ emit(parse(s))

Differences from INI:

• No parsing errors
• Has multiline value
• Has lists
• Use colon instead of equal

Context Built out from a port of ArchieML. Wanted to replace a bunch of YAML files with a simpler syntax that did not change formatting on serialization.

Usage

$result = Ani\parse("key: value");
$string = Ani\emit($result);

Format

» key: value
« [ 'key' => 'value' ]

Duplicate keys creates a list of objects:

» name: frank
  age: 52
  name: vincent
  age: 64
« [
    [
      'name' => 'frank',
      'age' => 52
    ],
    [
      'name' => 'vincent',
      'age' => 62
    ]
  ]

Text lines are not ignored:

» key: value
  Jane is this working ?
« [
    'key' => 'value',
    'Jane is this working ?'
  ]

A text line that looks like a key can be escaped with backslash:

» \key: value
« [ 'key: value' ]

So simple "flat array" is easy:

» milk
  cereals
« [ 'milk', 'cereals' ]

And sections:

» [groceries]
  milk
  cereals
« [ 'groceries' => [ 'milk', 'cereals' ] ]

Section plural (controversial) determine the initial list type:

» [groceries]
  name: milk
« [ 'groceries' => [ [ 'name' => 'milk' ] ] ]

» [grocery]
  name: milk
« [ 'grocery' => [ 'name' => 'milk' ] ]

Multiline is started by writing a newline and indenting value!

» title: Funky
  content:
    Something along
      the lines
« [ 'title' => 'Funky', 'content' => 'Something along\n  the lines' ]

Almost equal to

• spaces before key is lost
• surrounding spaces in section names is lost
• multiline indentation is always two-spaces