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YAML Tutorial: Get Started With YAML in 5 Minutes
Syntax, salient features, and advanced features
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.
While often overlooked by developers, it’s a powerful and simple tool that can greatly improve your job prospects with just a couple of hours of learning.
Today, we’ll help you learn YAML fast with a hands-on tutorial, and we’ll explore how you can use it in your next data-driven solution.
Here’s what we’ll cover today:
- What is YAML?
- Salient Features of YAML
- YAML Syntax
- Advanced concepts to learn next
What Is YAML?
YAML is a data serialization language for storing information in a human-readable form. It originally stood for “Yet Another Markup Language” but has since been changed to “YAML Ain’t Markup Language” to distinguish itself as different from a true markup language.
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.
More recently, YAML has been used to create automation protocols that can execute a series of commands listed in a YAML file. This means your systems can be more independent and responsive without additional developer attention.
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 vs. JSON vs. XML
YAML (.yml)
- Human-readable code
- Minimalist syntax
- Solely designed for data
