Data Formats
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formats
devops
What is YAML?
Definition
YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is a human-readable data serialization format that uses indentation to represent structure. It supports scalars, sequences (lists), and mappings (dictionaries) without the braces and brackets of JSON.
Why It Matters
YAML is the preferred format for configuration files in Docker Compose, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, Ansible, and many CI/CD tools. Its readability makes it ideal for configs that humans edit frequently, though indentation sensitivity can cause subtle bugs.