yb - a bash yaml parser

yb provides a pure Bash solution to YAML parsing.

• Usage
• Installation
• Options
• YAML support
• Development

Usage

yb [-h|-a|-c|-q|-r|-A-C-d-F-K-l-L-R-n-T] [-f <file>|-o <object>] [-k <key>] [-v <value>|-O <object value>]

Examples

./yb -f file.yaml -k "key.childkey"

From the repository, you can do a quick try like so:

./yb -f tests/user.yaml -k "yb"

Create keys:

./yb -af tests/user.yaml -k "new.key"

add an inline-value:

./yb -af tests/user.yaml -k "new.key" -v "one, two"

change it:

./yb -cf tests/user.yaml -k "new.key" -v "three"

add list-values:

./yb -af tests/user.yaml -k "new.- list" -v "- one - two"

add an ASCII within a pipe-key:

./yb -af tests/user.yaml -k "new.ascii|" -v "|>  ___  _ |>  \  \// |>   \  / |>   / / |>  /_/"

manipulate the YAML as a bash variable:

# using the '-R' raw option is advised to retrieve the content without color codes
my_YAML=$(./yb -f tests/user.yaml -k "new")
my_YAML=$(./yb -ao "${my_YAML}" -k "in_memory" -v "true")

add it to a file:

./yb -af tests/user.yaml -k "new.copy" -o "${my_YAML}"

Remove one value:

./yb -rf tests/user.yaml -k "new.- list" -v "- one"

or remove everything:

./yb -rf tests/user.yaml -k "new"

Installation

From the repository

git clone [yb_repo]
cd yb
chmod +x yb

yb can then be used directly from the repository folder or copied and used as a single file within a project.

From an url

You can use this command to dowload directly the yb script where needed:

bash <(echo "https://gitlab.com/t0pd4wn/yb/-/raw/main/yb"|(read l; wget $l || curl $l >yb)) && chmod +x yb;

If you want yb to be available system wide, run this command from the repository folder:

sudo cp yb /usr/local/bin/

One-liner

You can use this command to download yb in the current folder in one line:

bash <(echo "https://gitlab.com/t0pd4wn/yb/-/raw/main/yb"|(read l; wget $l || curl $l >yb)) && chmod +x yb;

You can use this command to install yb on your system in one line:

bash <(echo "https://gitlab.com/t0pd4wn/yb/-/raw/main/yb"|(read l; wget $l || curl $l >yb)) && chmod +x yb && sudo cp yb /usr/local/bin && rm yb;

Options

yb options are divided under 3 types:

• action: action options are ran against the file and are not compatible with each others. They are compatible with input, but not format.
• input: input options are user settable options, and are compatible with each others. They are compatible with both action and format.
• format: format options print the output in various ways. They are compatible with each others, with the input type , but not the action one.

Option	Name	Type	Description	Example	Notes
-a	add	action	Adds key(s), value(s) or both.	yb -f "file.yaml" -a -k "key" -v "value"
-c	change	action	Changes value(s).	yb -f "file.yaml" -c -k "key" -v "new_value"
-q	query	action	Prints true or false if key(s), value(s) or both are present or not.	yb -f "file.yaml" -q -k "key"	Using single quotes is advised to retrieve a pipe value -v 'pipe value'.
-r	remove	action	Removes key(s), value(s) or both.	yb -f "file.yaml" -r -k "key" -v "value"	Using single quotes is advised to remove a pipe value -v 'pipe value'.
-f	file	input	YAML file path.	yb -f "file.yaml"	A file can be presented without the -f option, as the $1 option. -f and -c are not compatible with each others.
-o	object	input	YAML object.	yb -o "${YAML_object}"	YAML object can be used with all actions. -f and -o are compatible together, only when adding an object to a file.
-O	object value	input	YAML object value.	yb -f "file.yaml" -O "${YAML_object}"	YAML object can be used with the -a action.
-k	key	input	Key(s) selection path.	yb -f "file.yaml" -k "key"	Support keys in this format :key, key.childkey, - list-key, pipe-key|. Multiple key(s) can be provided with a . as the separator.
-v	value	input	Value(s) to be added, removed, queried or changed.	yb -f "file.yaml" -k "key" -v "value"	Support values in this format : value, - list-value, |> pipe-value.
-A	array	format	Prints the output as a bash array.	yb -f "file.yaml" -A -k "key"	Will provide a different formatting if used with -F or -d.
-C	colors	format	Force colors in a non-terminal output.	yb -Cf "file.yaml" -A -k "key"
-d	depth	format	Provides the output with the original depth.	yb -f "file.yaml" -d -k "key.childkey" -v "new_value"
-F	format	format	Prints a formatted output to represent the arborescence inline.	yb -f "file.yaml" -F -k "key"	Will provide a different formatting if used with -A or -d.
-K	keys-only	format	Prints only keys.	yb -Kf "file.yaml" -k "key"
-l	line	format	Prints {{line}} on each lines.	yb -f "file.yaml" -l -k "key"
-L	level	format	Prints {{<level number>}} on each lines.	yb -f "file.yaml" -L -k "key"
-R	raw	format	Prints the ouptut without added colors, comments and empty lines.	yb -f "file.yaml" -R -k "key"
-n	number	format	Prints {{<line number>}} on each lines.	yb -f "file.yaml" -n -k "key"
-T	type	format	Prints a value type.	yb -f "file.yaml" -T -k "key"	Supports null, boolean, integer, floating number, string.
-s	spaces	Deprecated	Spaces number selection.

YAML support

yb provides the basic YAML support for editing and reading a YAML file. As by version 0.9, yb doesn't support advanced features such as group based search, anchors, aliases, and overrides.

Development

Full sources are made available in the /src/ folder. The version present at the root level is built with the /src/tools/dist.sh script.

Tests

A simple test suite is made available in the tests/ folder. It introduces the various yb use cases.

To launch it, run the below command from the repository root level :

./tests/tests.sh

You can provide an extra parameter to select the parser (e.g. while developing) :

./tests/tests.sh "./src/yb.dev"

Thank you

All of you, YAML'ers !

Made in Bash.