https://github.com/espadrine/dotset

Dotset, The Settings File Format.
https://github.com/espadrine/dotset

Last synced: 10 days ago
JSON representation

Dotset, The Settings File Format.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/espadrine/dotset
• Owner: espadrine
• License: mit
• Created: 2013-02-24T15:35:16.000Z (over 11 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2014-03-01T12:11:12.000Z (over 10 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-10-12T21:35:03.079Z (about 1 month ago)
• Language: JavaScript
• Homepage: http://espadrine.github.com/dotset/
• Size: 449 KB
• Stars: 9
• Watchers: 3
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: Readme.md
  • License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

README

        
Dotset: The Settings File Format

================================

A format for settings.

- It's just JSON,

- Very readable,

- Easy to edit (think "no trailing comma error"),

- Simple to parse.

In many ways, it's JSON with the CoffeeScript treatment.

Also, it's a subset of YAML. YAML parsers parse Dotset.

## Example

The following file `example.set`:

```yaml

    # Comments. They're actually useful.

    name: "Dotset: The Settings File Format"

    version: 1.0

    That simple?: yes

    Can I nest?:

      - You can nest lists…

      - and: obviously

        objects: too!

```

… would correspond to this JSON:

```javascript

    {

      "name": "Dotset: The Settings File Format",

      "version": 1.0,

      "That simple?": true,

      "Can I nest?": [

        "You can nest lists…",

        {

          "and": "obviously",

          "objects": "too!"

        }

      ]

    }

```

## Formal

Each file is UTF-8 encoded.

Primitives:

- dictionary

- array

- string

- number

- boolean (`yes` or `no`)

- null (`null`)

- string: either rawString or the following.

![String spec](http://json.org/string.gif)

Also, Strings can escape newlines. Multiline strings for you.

![Number spec](http://json.org/number.gif)

- dictionary:

    keyValue (newline keyValue)*

- newline: ASCII character `0x0A` (or `0x0D`, but don't use it).

- keyValue of indentation `indent`:

    string : (whitespace)+ primitive

    OR

    string : (whitespace)+ newline indent primitive

- rawString:

    (any unicode character but `-` and `"` and digit)

    (any sequence of unicode character but (`:` (whitespace)+))*

    but not `yes`, `no`, `null`

- indent: sequence of ASCII characters `0x20`. Nothing else.

- non-empty array of indentation `indent`:

    `-` (whitespace)+ primitive (newline indent `-` (whitespace)+ primitive)*

- empty array:

    `[]`

- whitespace:

    (Unicode points 0x9 OR 0x20 OR 0xA0 OR 0x2000 - 0x200D OR 0x202F OR 0x205F

    OR 0x2060 OR 0x3000 OR 0xFEFF)+

## Functional requirements

- Arrays must conserve order.

- Order of dictionary entries is meaningless.

- If a dictionary has duplicate entries, only keep the last one.

  Don't crash, don't throw.

- Numbers must be decoded in a format at least as precise as IEEE754.

## Why?

Because I hate to see projects use `.ini` files. It is ugly and poorly specified

(if at all).

Because I hate to see projects use `.xml` files. It is even uglier and supports

namespaces.

Because YAML is overly complex to parse.

Because JSON is just fine, but people find it too raw and hard to edit.

## I want my tabs! I want my CR-LF! I want my Big5!

Having just one possibility for invisible characters / encoding makes it easier

to not screw things up. The last thing anyone wants to screw up is the config

file.