YAMLGuide
Choosing YAML TOML JSON or INI for Config Without Regret
Pick a config format by who edits it and what reads it. One config tested in YAML, TOML, JSON, INI and more: types, traps, errors, size and switching cost.
17 min read
Topic
YAML
Config files that look friendly until the indentation bites. Parsing it, linting it and avoiding its type surprises.
YAMLGuide
Parsing YAML in Languages Other Than Python Compared
One YAML document parsed in Node, Go, Java, Ruby, PHP, Rust, C# and yq: types, dates, duplicate keys, strict modes, safety and parse speed, all measured.
17 min read
XML
XML Versus JSON Versus YAML for Configuration Files
One small config written three ways: size, comments, types and the YAML country code that parses as False. A decision guide for choosing between them.
5 min read
YAML
Reading YAML Anchors in CI Files and Merge Key Gotchas
How to expand anchors and merge keys in CI files to see the effective job, and the yq 4.54.1 merge-key order bug that gave retries 2 where the spec says 5.
6 min read
Excel
Converting Google Sheets to CSV or Excel With a Script
Export a Google Sheet to CSV or xlsx from a script using the export URL, the Drive API or gspread, choose the sheet by gid and handle sharing and auth safely.
6 min read
Excel
Converting Excel to Markdown and HTML Tables for Docs
Turn a worksheet into a Markdown or HTML table for documentation with pandas, escape pipes and line breaks, align numbers and keep wide tables readable.
6 min read
YAML
Helm Values Files Without Copy Paste Using Layered Values
Layer Helm values so production overrides only what differs: maps merge, lists replace, --set wins. Rendered with helm template and checked with kubeconform.
7 min read
Excel
Converting Excel to SQL Insert Statements Safely and Fast
Turn a worksheet into SQL INSERT statements that quote text, handle NULLs and dates, and load in batches, or skip the script and use COPY or a driver.
6 min read
Excel
Converting Excel to Parquet for Faster Analytics Loads
Convert an Excel workbook to Parquet with pandas or DuckDB, fix column types first, write one file per sheet and check counts so analytics loads run fast.
7 min read
YAML
Limiting Alias Expansion in a YAML Parser Across Languages
Where each parser sets its alias limit: SnakeYAML options, Go's built-in check, Ruby's aliases flag, DuckDB's node budget and a PyYAML guard, all tested.
7 min read
Excel
Converting Excel to YAML Config Files Without Surprises
Turn an Excel sheet of settings or tables into YAML in Python: shape the data, avoid the Norway problem and number traps, dump safely and validate.
7 min read
Excel
Converting Excel to XML With a Python Script Safely
Convert an Excel sheet to XML in Python: valid element names, escaping, elements versus attributes, encoding, large files and validation against a schema.
7 min read
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