add section outlining conversion to Internal Representation

[ghurlbot]

The primary issue is that there seem to be no normative specification for how to turn YAML into JSON, or more importantly, the internal representation shared between YAML, JSON, and other systems. If one can be found, it can be referenced, otherwise, this section would describe this transformation.

due 27 Jul 2022 (@gkellogg)

[gkellogg]

Thoughts on this:

• The target is the internal representation, we are left with some primitive datatypes, and two structural datatypes (array and map), so the conversion to JSON is going to involve mapping each YAML Production into one of these types.
• We might consider extending the internal representation to distinguish more primitive datatypes, such as Integer and Floating Point (timestamps?).
  • Directives may introduce more datatypes, which can't reasonably be preserved if not directly mapped to the internal representation.
• Such transformation of necessity will loose specifics of the original YAML such as sequences and mappings.
  e.g.:
  - 1
  - 2
  vs:
  [1, 2]
  and strings "foo" vs 'foo', or even a plain foo.
  • This further complicates the round-tripping behavior.
• Node anchors are lost, and Node references end up being folded
  • Some consideration for loops introduced this way.

[ioggstream]

@gkellogg all the information related to generic yaml/JSON should be addressed in yaml media types. Could you please provide feedback there too? Feel free to open an issue and/or a PR.

[gkellogg]

@gkellogg all the information related to generic yaml/JSON should be addressed in yaml media types. Could you please provide feedback there too? Feel free to open an issue and/or a PR.

I will do so, but what's unique about our situation is the mapping to the internal representation, rather than a generic in-memory representation. Granted, they are closely related, and it would be much better for our spec to reference something from YAML-land.

Do you have a pointer to a specific repo in which an issue should be raised?

[ioggstream]

https://github.com/ietf-wg-httpapi/mediatypes the YAML media type repo ;)

[gkellogg]

@gkellogg all the information related to generic yaml/JSON should be addressed in yaml media types. Could you please provide feedback there too? Feel free to open an issue and/or a PR.

Done. See ietf-wg-httpapi/mediatypes#59.